


Knight in Shining Armor

by evilwriter37



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Assassination Attempt(s), F/M, First Kiss, M/M, Sex Dreams, Sexual Tension, Sparring, knight!Viggo, possibly a slow burn?, prince!hiccup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:47:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 34,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37
Summary: Hiccup is the spoiled prince of Berk. He gets everything he wants, when he wants it. His no-nonsense bodyguard is High Knight Viggo Grimborn. Hiccup wants something more from his life, feeling bogged down by politics and marriage arrangements. Viggo just wants to keep his luxurious job despite the ways in which Hiccup annoys him. Slowly, they begin to feel... something, for the other. Not love though. It can't be love. Or is it?
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Viggo Grimborn/Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
Comments: 184
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MandolinDoodler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandolinDoodler/gifts).



> Uh oh, started another AU. I don't know how long this one is going to be. I promise I haven't abandoned Ball, Chain, and Dagur or Scholar's Mate. I just had to write this.

Inspired by the lovely art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/).

[Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7L7XslCG2LCJjhB5mzBTm1?si=3z1NCUM_R5WClPQys0XBKA)

Moodboard by [imaginativemind29](https://imaginativemind29.tumblr.com/)

Viggo Grimborn, High Knight of the kingdom of Berk, entered the spacious room to find his charge near the open window. He sighed in exasperation as he stepped over.

“I thought you were supposed to be at your lessons,” Viggo said to Hiccup’s back.

“Do you ever stop and think about it all, Viggo?” the prince asked, ignoring Viggo’s words. “About the world around us?”

“Oh, not this again.”

Prince Hiccup leaned out the open window, and Viggo could just picture the bright smile on his face. He spread his arms out wide. “I want to be part of it, Viggo. I want to _fly_.”

Viggo walked over, wrapped a strong arm around Hiccup’s waist, and pulled him back from the window before he could fall out of it. The last thing he needed was the prince getting hurt on his watch.

“Your Highness, I don’t think leaning out open windows is going to get you any closer to flying,” Viggo said. He let go of Hiccup, then went and closed the window. Hiccup had a disappointed look on his face. “Besides, you have your lessons.”

Hiccup pouted at him. “Come on, Viggo. You’re no fun.”

“I’m not supposed to be fun. I’m supposed to be your bodyguard.” Viggo rested his hand on the pommel of his sword, just to make this quite clear. Hiccup pouted at him, and Viggo tried not to be drawn in by the expression. The prince had turned 18 a few months ago, in the bitter cold of February. Viggo had been his bodyguard for only 2 years, but in that time, he’d seen him grow taller, his jawline becoming more chiseled, his features now that of a man rather than a child. But, that didn’t mean he didn’t still act like a child sometimes. Viggo wanted him to outgrow that childishness, but it was difficult when he was given everything he ever wanted. The queen had died when Hiccup was very young, and so now the king, Stoick the Vast, saw it fit to give his son absolutely anything he desired. It had turned him into, well… a spoiled brat. Viggo didn’t like people like that, especially when they should be acting like an adult. 

“Oh, come on, you’re saying I haven’t grown on you even a little bit?” Hiccup asked. He began buttoning his scarlet coat with gold dragons embroidered on the cuffs so that his white shirt wasn’t hanging out of it. 

“Sometimes I don’t wonder why your other bodyguard quit the job,” Viggo told him, watching as Hiccup combed fingers through his unruly auburn hair. No matter how many times it was combed, it seemed to be that way. 

Hiccup snorted. “He didn’t quit. He was fired. You’re lucky my dad likes you.”

“Was that a threat?” 

Hiccup patted Viggo on his armored shoulder. “Not yet, Viggo. Not yet.”

Viggo did not like that Hiccup could control his job like this. Yes, Stoick had been the one who had hired him out of his knights to do this, but it was all up to Hiccup who got to stay and who got to go. If Hiccup didn’t like him, he could just disappear on him and make sure he lost his job over it. He’d disappeared on him many times before, and had employed the help of his friends Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut to do so. They were the children of noblemen, and so were allowed to wander the castle at their leisure. Their leisure usually had something to do with Hiccup and his disappearances.

“Now come on,” Viggo said, trying to brush off the threat in Hiccup’s words. “To your lessons.”

Hiccup’s shoulders drooped. “Ugh, but they’re so boring.”

“And how will you be expected to rule a kingdom with no knowledge of military tactics or history?” Viggo questioned. “Your father knows it. It would make sense for you to know it too.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes in a very un-princely gesture. “Yes, Viggo. I know the logic behind it. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s boring.” Though, Hiccup straightened, brushed off his coat. “How do I look?”

“Impeccable, Your Highness,” Viggo answered. It wasn’t exactly a lie either. Hiccup was quite easy on the eyes. 

Viggo was about to take a step, but stopped when something brushed against his legs. He looked down to see Hiccup’s fluffy black cat, ironically named Toothless, rubbing against his greaves. Toothless looked up at him, let out a scratchy meow.

“You wanna come too, Toothless?” Hiccup asked. 

“Hiccup, you know Phlegma doesn’t like you having him with you,” Viggo said. He didn’t like the cat much. It seemed that he, like Hiccup, was always getting into trouble. That didn’t change the fact that Toothless appeared to like _him._

Hiccup gathered Toothless into his arms. Viggo had no idea why he’d chosen the name. He must have been young when he did. Together, the three of them left the suite. 

Viggo knew the halls of the castle well, but Hiccup knew them even better. He took the lead, Viggo falling behind as his shadow, like he was supposed to. He kept an eye out for anything of danger, and the other eye out for Hiccup’s rambunctious friends.

No incidents occurred on the way to Hiccup’s instructor. Viggo was content to just stand by the door as Hiccup went into the room.

“You’re late,” Phlegma said curtly as Hiccup went to his usual seat. She sighed when she turned from the chalkboard and saw Toothless perching himself on Hiccup’s shoulders. “Your Highness, how many times have I told you that your cat is not allowed at your studies?”

“He won’t cause trouble,” Hiccup responded. “I promise.”

“You said that last time.” There was a glint of anger in Phlegma’s eyes. Viggo remembered last time very clearly. Toothless had ripped up almost an entire history book by the time they’d gotten him to stop. All the while, Hiccup had just been laughing and encouraging him. 

Hiccup frowned, looked to Viggo. He collected Toothless into his arms, then held him out to Viggo. “Take him back to my apartments?”

“Hiccup, you know very well that’s not what I’m here for,” Viggo said, arms crossed. 

“Well, then who’s going to do it?” Hiccup asked with that pout of his. Viggo looked at Phlegma, who just had a hand on her hip, looking between the both of them. Clearly she wasn’t going to be doing it. 

“If something happens while I’m gone-” Viggo started, taking Toothless from Hiccup.

“ _Nothing_ will happen,” Hiccup interrupted. “I’ll attend to my studies. You attend to my cat.”

“Fine. But I’ll be right back after.”

Viggo left the room, trying not to heave another sigh. Hiccup was a handful to deal with, that was for sure. He looked down at the cat in his arms as he walked, and Toothless gave him a purr, his paws clenching and unclenching as he kneaded the air. This cat really liked him, and Viggo had no idea why. Though, he supposed it was better to be liked by the prince’s pet than disliked. 

Viggo arrived at Hiccup’s rooms and found someone waiting in the main chamber. He put the cat down, embarrassed to be seen doing something so beneath him. He knew this woman, of course. It was Astrid, Hiccup’s betrothed. 

“Were you looking for the prince?” Viggo asked. Toothless went over to greet Astrid, who stood from the couch. She knelt, let the cat sniff her hand, and pet him on the head. Astrid was from a clan of nobles that were looking to raise their rank in the eyes of King Stoick. Astrid’s clan was in charge of a territory that brought in most of the wool for their clothing. They had threatened to disband from the kingdom if Stoick didn’t arrange the marriage. It was purely a political move, but Astrid seemed to very much like Hiccup. Viggo didn’t know how Hiccup felt about her. He never talked about his feelings with Viggo.

“Yes, we were supposed to go riding today,” Astrid answered, straightening. She was in a blue dress with the sides slit up to the hip for just that purpose, and leather leggings. 

“I’m afraid he’s at his lessons,” Viggo informed her. “Perhaps later?” He knew he would have to go along with them, and that Hiccup would most likely try to lose him, like he always did. Astrid didn’t mind Hiccup’s shenanigans, and went along with them. 

Astrid just nodded, and sat back down on the couch. Toothless hopped into her lap. There were guards outside the door if she needed anything, so Viggo set off back to Hiccup. He didn’t like leaving him for such frivolous things. 

“Grimborn, is that you?” came a booming voice from behind him. Viggo turned on his heel to see none other than the king, heading his way. Viggo was tall, but Stoick was _taller_ , and _big_. Viggo was a good size, but this man could crush him if he wanted. And hopefully he didn’t. 

Viggo gave a bow, his armor clanking. “Your Majesty. Always good to see you.”

Stoick patted Viggo on the shoulder when he came up from his bow. He looked around him for a moment, evidently confused. “Where’s Hiccup? Wherever you are, he is.”

“Oh, he’s at his lessons with Phlegma,” Viggo told him, hoping that this excursion to return Hiccup’s cat wouldn’t have him losing his job. As annoying as Hiccup could be, being his bodyguard paid well, and Viggo had become very used to living in comfort - it wasn’t something that he wanted to lose. “I was just returning to him.”

“I heard that Lady Astrid is looking for him.”

“Yes, we spoke. I’ll be accompanying the both of them later for a ride.”

“Just make sure you don’t lose him.” There was mirth in Stoick’s words, but Viggo didn’t feel it. Losing Hiccup could be a big deal. Someday the prince was going to get himself into real trouble, and Viggo would be around to see it. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

“Well, I’ll let you get back to him. Have a good day.”

Viggo gave another bow as Stoick began to retreat down another hallway. “You as well, Your Majesty.”

Viggo hurried on his way back to Hiccup, hoping he didn’t look undignified as he walked swiftly through the castle. Running into Stoick had reminded him of the importance of his job. Prince Hiccup was a spoiled brat, but if anything were to happen to him… No. It was too dreadful to think about.

He came quietly into the classroom, saw that Hiccup was rolling a piece of charcoal between his fingers as he watched Phlegma up at the chalkboard. He looked engaged for once, so Viggo wasn’t going to make any announcement of his return and distract him from his learning. He just stood at attention at the door, one hand on the pommel of his sword, guarding Hiccup like he was supposed to be. 

  
  


Hiccup got comfortable in his saddle, looked behind him and Astrid to see Viggo mounting his own horse. A small smile crept onto his face. He knew exactly where to ditch Viggo so that he and Astrid could have some time alone. Since they weren’t married, they weren’t allowed to be alone unsupervised, but Hiccup knew how to get around those sorts of things. He’d gotten very good at losing his chaperones and bodyguards in his 18 years of life.

Hiccup spurred on his horse, and together he and Astrid left the castle courtyard, Viggo following at a distance. He was close enough that if something went wrong, he would be there, but far enough away that Astrid and Hiccup could speak in relative privacy. 

“How’s your leg feeling today?” Astrid asked.

“Better,” Hiccup answered. He knew what Astrid was talking about. His left leg went down to a stump just below his knee, rather than a foot like the other. It had had to be amputated from a bad riding accident when he was a boy, but he’d overcome the ensuing fear of horses. He liked riding; he could feel the wind through his hair. And if he closed his eyes, he could imagine that he was flying. Yesterday, he’d been having bad phantom pains in his leg, probably because the weather had been overcast and rainy, but today the sky was a bright blue without a cloud in sight, and his leg wasn’t hurting him at all. 

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at Viggo. Then, he moved his horse closer to Astrid’s. “I know how to ditch him,” he said as they rode through town. People made way for the trio, then went back to their business once they had passed. Everyone knew what the prince, his fiancée, and his bodyguard looked like. Though, Viggo had only been his bodyguard for 2 years. Hiccup had to admit he liked him more than the other ones, though he could still irritate him at times. There was something he liked about him though, something about his quiet, commanding demeanor that made him want to get to know him more. 

But that wasn’t proper. Viggo was just his bodyguard, not someone to be seen as a friend. What was the point in getting close to him when he was a knight? He would certainly be sent off to die in some battle in some faraway land at some point. Or, be replaced by some other knight that Stoick deemed more worthy of watching Hiccup. They all got replaced - it was only a matter of time. Maybe sometimes that was Hiccup’s fault, what with finding ways to ditch them and all that. It made them look bad and like they weren’t taking their job seriously. So far, the fastest Hiccup had gotten rid of a bodyguard was a week. The longest running bodyguard had lasted 4 years. He’d been a gruff man with graying hair and no sense of humor. Granted, Viggo didn’t have much of a sense of humor either.

“How?” Astrid asked. She always went along with Hiccup’s plans. Hiccup didn’t know why. Maybe it was because she liked him. He was still trying to figure out how he felt about her, but it was fun having a companion to his mischief. 

“I know a path in the woods,” Hiccup said. “Just follow my lead.” 

Rolling fields of green grass bordered the town, and this was where Hiccup let himself go free. He spurred his horse into a canter, and then an all-out gallop. The wind blew through his hair, and he spread out his arms, holding onto the horse with just his legs. He heard Astrid’s horse galloping beside him, and Hiccup let out a laugh. Astrid laughed as well. It was a good sound. This felt excellent after the confines of the classroom in the castle. Sometimes, Hiccup felt like he wasn’t built to be a prince, like he should’ve been born as someone else, someone that didn’t need bodyguards, or arranged marriages, or lessons on politics and strategy, someone who could just live life the way they wanted and be free of all the inner workings of court life. 

But Hiccup could never be that someone. He was stuck as a prince, and would later become a king. He was chained to this fate. 

Hiccup slowed his horse as they entered the forest. He was panting from laughing, cheeks red with life, looking at Astrid with shining eyes. She smiled back at him.

The forest was dark compared to the fields, the trees canopying everything beneath them. Hiccup looked behind him. Viggo was still dutifully following.

_Time to lose him._

Hiccup urged his horse into a trot, then a canter, the trees rushing past him. Astrid followed his lead. It was dangerous to ride so quickly through such a thick forest, but Hiccup knew where he was going.

“Hiccup!” he heard Viggo call. 

And then they lost him in the trees. If Viggo was any good at tracking he’d be able to find them soon, but Hiccup just wanted a few moments alone with Astrid. He wanted to try something.

After making sure they were completely away from Viggo, Hiccup stopped his horse and dismounted, using his right leg first. He’d become unbalanced if his prosthetic was on the ground before his right foot. It was a good prosthetic however, something he’d designed himself. He had multiple prosthetics for multiple purposes. This one he was currently wearing had little spikes on the bottom so that he wouldn’t slip on the detritus of the forest floor.

“What are we doing?” Astrid asked, dismounting as well. There were stray hairs coming out of her braid from the quick ride.

“I… wanted to try something.” Now that Hiccup was alone with her he felt nervous. Still, he made the first move and took her hand. Astrid looked down at their joined hands, then up at Hiccup.

“Oh,” she said.

“Yeah.”

Hiccup had never really initiated a kiss before. Sure, he was friends with a few girls, but he’d never had a romantic relationship with any of them. And, Hiccup was trying for a romantic relationship with Astrid, what with being her betrothed and all.

Hiccup and Astrid were crowded in by the trees and the horses. Hiccup leaned forward, and Astrid’s eyes slid closed. Their lips touched.

Hiccup didn’t know what he’d expected to feel. He’d read and heard about a kiss being like sparks flying, but… there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was just flesh touching flesh.

Though, Hiccup tried to make it something else. He moved his lips against Astrid’s, cupped her cheek with his other hand. She hummed a little, so she must have been enjoying it. That was good at least. Hiccup didn’t pull away till he heard the sounds of a horse coming close.

“Hiccup!” Viggo exclaimed, coming up on his horse. “You _know_ you shouldn’t ride quickly like that through the forest. It’s dangerous. Never mind that you lost me to cavort with your betrothed!”

“Wha-? We were not cavorting!” Hiccup cried, insulted at Viggo’s choice of words.

Viggo crossed his arms over his armored chest. “Then what was that that I caught the tail end of?”

“It was just a kiss,” Astrid said, clearly annoyed with Viggo. She swung back up onto her horse. “Hiccup, you coming?”

Hiccup had felt blood rising in his cheeks. He hadn’t meant for Viggo to see that. He got back up onto his horse and faced straight ahead. He could feel Viggo staring at his back with simmering anger. That anger was something Hiccup had gotten used to over the years, and it was something he would have to put up for many more, he was sure. Unless of course, word got out that Viggo had lost them in the forest. Hiccup didn’t want word getting out. Though Viggo annoyed him, there was something about him that he liked. He _liked_ to annoy him. Maybe that was why he’d ditched him in the first place. Not to kiss Astrid, but to get on the knight’s nerves. Either way, he’d gotten to do both, and his day was fuller because of it.

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/).


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup gave his surroundings a furtive glance before leaning in and giving Astrid a peck on the lips. She smiled, kissed him again.

“Hiccup, you know we’re allowed to kiss each other,” Astrid said. They were in one of the castle hallways, leaning against the wall near a tapestry detailing a battle that had happened hundreds of years ago, if it even had happened. “You don’t have to act like we’re going to get caught.”

“Well, I didn’t want Viggo watching us while we kissed,” Hiccup said, blushing a little, remembering the incident in the woods. 

Astrid took Hiccup’s face in both hands. “Well, then he can just look the other way.” She giggled, pressed her lips to his again, and Hiccup tried his best to feel something from the kiss: connection, sparks, _anything_. Again, all it felt like was skin touching skin, nothing special happening with it. 

“Where _is_ Viggo?” Astrid asked, now taking her turn to look around. 

“I asked Ruffnut and Tuffnut to take care of him,” Hiccup said. 

Astrid laughed. “Won’t he be angry with you?”

“Oh, most certainly.”

That’s when Hiccup heard a pair of running footsteps. He turned to see the twins in question heading their way. Ruffnut had her dress hiked up around her knees, evidently not caring about showing skin. 

“Hiccup, you’ve got to hide!” Ruffnut said breathlessly once she and Tuffnut got to him. “Viggo’s heading this way.”

“Fuck,” Hiccup muttered, using language his father would very much not like him to be using. Viggo would be mad at him for ditching him again. He was supposed to be guarding him most hours of the day and night. 

Thinking quickly, Hiccup grabbed Astrid’s hand and took off at a run. She easily followed, and the two were laughing as they ran. Hiccup found a hidden door in the hallway, part of the servants’ passages, and he and Astrid slipped inside. It was dark inside, and Hiccup stayed near the door, listening. 

“I swear I saw Hiccup come this way,” Hiccup heard in Viggo’s voice. He was definitely frustrated. 

“You know, I thought I saw him go that way,” Ruffnut’s voice chimed in, and Hiccup could easily imagine her pointing in the wrong direction.

“No! That way!” Tuffnut piped up. 

Viggo made a growling sound. “Hiccup, Astrid, just come out of there now.”

Uh oh, had he found the secret door?

It very suddenly opened, and Hiccup and Astrid, who had been leaning against it, stumbled out into the brightly lit hall. Viggo closed the door, shook his head at them. He sighed. “Hiccup, I’m just trying to do my job and keep you safe.”

“Keep me safe from what?” Hiccup asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “We’re not at war. No one’s going to try to assassinate me or anything.”

“You don’t know that,” Viggo said. “Besides, you and Astrid need supervision until you’re married. Your father thought it a good idea that I provide that supervision.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes. It was a common gesture of his around Viggo. “Fine.” He looked at Astrid, took her hand again. “Now, where to, m’lady?”

  
  


Hiccup took every opportunity he could to kiss Astrid. He wanted to like it, wanted to enjoy it. It wasn’t like he disliked Astrid. No, quite the opposite. She was beautiful and smart and a good sparring partner when Stoick allowed them to practice sword fighting. Maybe he just didn’t feel for her in that _way_ , not the way that she felt for him. And he didn’t want her to know that, didn’t want her to realize the attraction was one-sided. That would just hurt her, and Hiccup didn’t want to hurt her. They were good friends, he felt, and he didn’t want to ruin that. 

Now, they sat in Hiccup’s rooms by a wide open window, letting the sunshine pour in. Hiccup loved it. He looked down out the window, could see the castle courtyard from here. He liked how high up he was, and he wanted to lean out the window again, but Viggo wouldn’t like it if he did that. He hadn’t lied in what he’d said to Viggo. He did truly want to fly. He saw the birds with their carefree lives and felt jealousy. He had commitments and things he was supposed to do. Birds only had to eat and mate and fly. They could just fly whenever they wanted, and Hiccup envied that. 

“How are your lessons coming along?” Astrid asked.

Hiccup draped his arm around the back of the couch, nearly touching her. “Boring,” he responded.

Hiccup was alerted to Toothless’ presence with a _brrt!_ , and he looked down to see his cat sitting before him with a green ball in his mouth. So, he wanted to play. Hiccup would be happy to oblige him. He leaned down, took the ball from Toothless, shook it in front of him to get his attention, and threw it. Toothless scampered after it, pouncing on it, then batting it around with his paws. Hiccup smiled. He envied Toothless too. He lived an easy life.

“Astrid, have you ever wanted to be something else?” Hiccup asked. “Or someone else?”

She shifted her position on the couch so that she was turned towards him. “What do you mean?”

Hiccup now felt a little embarrassed for bringing this up. “Well, like, a bird, or a cat, or even a farmer,” he explained. 

Astrid shook her head. “No, not really. Why? Do _you_ want to be any of those things?”

“Sometimes.” Hiccup watched Toothless roll the ball over to Viggo and give him a hopeful look. Viggo met Hiccup’s gaze across the room, and Hiccup just gestured to the ball. Toothless wasn’t going to leave him alone until he threw it. He saw Viggo sigh, bend, pick up the ball, and toss it back in Hiccup’s direction. Toothless happily ran after it, black, bushy tail streaming out behind him. 

“Why?” Astrid questioned.

Hiccup shrugged. “Sometimes life just feels like too much, like I have too many things I’m supposed to do, and too many things I’m expected to be.”

“Hiccup, if you want something, you can just ask for it,” Astrid said. “You’re given everything you want, when you want it.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Hiccup said. He knew he was spoiled, knew his life was much more luxurious than others. “But I have responsibilities that other people don’t have. I’m expected to be married and-”

“You don’t want to get married?” Her expression was serious, and there was an inkling of hurt in her cerulean eyes. 

Hiccup straightened. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what _did_ you mean?” Her voice was hot with the beginnings of anger. Hiccup had messed up. 

“I meant that… I meant… Astrid, come on, you _know_ I want to get married to you. I just misspoke.” He went in to try to kiss her, to try to pacify her, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest. 

“Not now, Hiccup.” She stood, and that’s how Hiccup knew she was going to leave. She straightened her skirts, pulled a stray hair behind her ear. “I’ll see you another time then?”

Before Hiccup could confirm or deny their next meeting, Astrid was leaving the room. There was silence as the door closed behind her.

“Well, I fucked that up,” Hiccup said. He suddenly wanted someone to talk to, like Snotlout or Fishlegs. Preferably Fishlegs. He was more understanding when it came to these things. He looked to Viggo to see if he had an opinion, but he just stood silently by the door, face stoic and impassive. 

So, guilt churning in his gut, Hiccup stood, planning on looking for his friends. He didn’t want Viggo coming along, already embarrassed that he had seen that mistake, but he had no other choice. 

“Come on, Viggo,” Hiccup said. “I’m going to find Fishlegs.”

  
  


Hiccup found Fishlegs reading in the gardens. He liked to visit the castle gardens a lot, and Hiccup didn’t blame him. It really was a beautiful place. Fishlegs didn’t notice that Hiccup was around until Hiccup walked directly up to him to get his attention. 

“Oh!” Fishlegs nearly dropped his book. He must have been really engrossed in it. “Hiccup, hi. How are you doing?”

Hiccup looked to make sure no one was around, rubbing at the back of his neck. Viggo had situated himself near the gate. He’d seen what had happened with Astrid though, so it was okay if he heard. 

Hiccup sat down beside Fishlegs on the stone bench. Fishlegs stuck a slip of paper in his book to mark where he was, closed it, set it down beside him.

“Hiccup, is something wrong?”

“I, uh… just got into an argument with Astrid,” Hiccup admitted. 

“Oh.” Fishlegs’ expression grew serious. He shifted towards Hiccup, lowered his voice though they were alone, (save for Viggo.) “About what?”

“I… accidentally let slip that I might not want to get married.” Hiccup felt horrible saying it. It was true though. He _didn’t_ want to get married. It just felt like another responsibility bogging him down. _Everything_ was a responsibility bogging him down. He hadn’t lied to Astrid when he said he would rather be someone else. 

Fishlegs took a hissing breath in. “Oh. That’s, uh, not good.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, feeling stressed. How was he supposed to fix all this? 

“So you really don’t want to get married?” 

Hiccup shook his head. “At least… I don’t know. It feels like too much. How am I supposed to be a husband _and_ a prince? I don’t feel like I’d be good at both at the same time. I don’t even feel like I’m doing good now!”

Fishlegs laid a hand on Hiccup’s knee. “Hiccup, calm down,” he said. “Everything will work itself out.”

“How? How do you know that?” Hiccup brushed Fishlegs’ hand away, stood, began pacing and pulling at his hair. “What if she doesn’t want to marry me anymore and I messed this whole thing up? Gods, my dad is going to be _so_ mad at me.”

“You’re coming to conclusions that might not even happen!” Fishlegs cried, standing. “Hiccup, you _have_ to relax and think about this rationally.”

Hiccup turned to Fishlegs, distraught. “How?”

Fishlegs went up to him, put a hand on his shoulder. “Astrid likes you, right?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

“So she’ll probably still marry you,” Fishlegs said. “Couples get into arguments and stay together. One argument isn’t going to ruin everything.”

“It feels like it is.”

Fishlegs shook his head. “She’ll realize how important this marriage is. It’ll be okay.”

Hiccup didn’t like how important this marriage was. It was a political move. He felt… he felt like his dad was using him like a pawn. He hadn’t told his dad this, had just accepted the marriage graciously like he was supposed to. He didn’t tell his dad a lot of his feelings. His friends were the only ones who really knew the inner workings of his mind. Hiccup glanced over at Viggo. Maybe he knew as well, being witness to all of this. Or… maybe he didn’t. Hiccup would prefer it if he didn’t. 

Hiccup went and sat down on the bench again. He picked a flower from the arrangement of them behind him. He didn’t know what kind of flower it was. It was purple, pretty. He didn’t know why he’d picked it. It was just something for his hands to do. He rolled the stem between his palms, thinking. 

“Do… women like flowers?” Hiccup asked. Maybe he could bring some to Astrid as his apology. Maybe he could do something grand for her.

Fishlegs shrugged. “Some of them seem to. Not Ruffnut though. She would just trample them.”

Hiccup laughed thinking of Ruffnut. “Yeah. Yeah, she would.”

Hiccup looked at the flower in his hand. “I’ve been with Astrid for a while and I don’t even know everything that she likes. I… don’t know everything about her.” Hiccup would have to fix that. He couldn’t have a wife that he didn’t even know about.

He stood, planning on going back to his rooms to plan his apology. “Thank you, Fishlegs. Just… don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“You got it.” Fishlegs gave him a winning smile. 

Hiccup left his friend in the garden, Viggo following silently like a shadow. He realized he still had the purple flower in his hand. No use dropping it in the halls though. Maybe Toothless would like it. 

“Viggo, have you… ever had a relationship?” Hiccup asked. 

“A relationship?”

“Yeah, a romantic one.” He slowed his step so that he was walking beside him instead of in front. It would do no good to have a conversation with someone who was following behind him.

At first, Viggo seemed surprised that Hiccup was asking such a question. Then, he visibly relaxed, probably thinking that it was alright to answer.

“A few,” Viggo answered. “Most of them didn’t last very long.”

“How come?”

“We wanted different things out of our lives,” Viggo responded. “Or I didn’t connect with them very well.”

Hiccup nodded. “Did you… ever get into fights?”

“You’re asking me what to do about Astrid, aren’t you?”

Hiccup sighed. “Yeah. Yeah I am.”

“I think you should talk to her,” Viggo said. “But give her some time first. Let the anger simmer out.”

Hiccup nodded. “Should I bring a gift?”

“Well, you are rich prince,” Viggo said. “I think a gift would be expected.”

“But what do I get her?” 

“Something she likes, clearly.”

What did Astrid like? He wracked his brain, trying to find anything in his memory about her enjoyment. Oh! He had an idea. He remembered stopping at a blacksmith shop with her and the way she’d admired some of the daggers. It wasn’t very lady-like, but Astrid didn’t care about those kinds of things. She wasn’t a normal “lady” anyhow.

“Oh!” Hiccup snapped his fingers. “I know what she likes.” He shoved the flower at Viggo. “Come on. We’re going into town.”

  
  


Viggo was a little confused about why Hiccup had given him a flower, why he’d kept it with him in the first place. He didn’t find himself dropping it though. He held it in one gloved hand as he followed Hiccup out of the castle and into town. He held it in his right hand to leave his sword hand free.

Viggo was glad that Hiccup hadn’t ditched him today, that he seemed content with his protection for now. He was still a little angry over Hiccup getting rid of him the other day. Yes, it was true that they weren’t at war, but that didn’t mean that something couldn’t happen to him. Viggo was supposed to protect him from anything, be it assassination or mere accident, and Hiccup was prone to get into accidents.

Hiccup was limping a little as they made their way into town, but whatever he wanted to get for Astrid was clearly more important than the pain in his leg. Viggo knew that he would regret it later though, that he would take his prosthetic off with a groan and massage his stump with a grimace. Viggo had witnessed it before, and was sure he would witness it many more times. He couldn’t imagine the pain Hiccup must have gone through with the amputation, the grief of losing a part of oneself… Was Viggo admiring him? Admiring his resilience? Since when did Viggo admire the prince? He was nothing more than a spoiled brat! With… a lot of care about how he treated his friends and relations. This was why he was out here walking when his leg hurt him - because he wanted to fix one of his relationships. 

They stopped at the blacksmith shop that was closest to the castle, the finest one in town. Of course, the castle had a personal blacksmith, but Hiccup liked going to this one.

“Prince Hiccup!” The man that worked the forge, Gobber, his name was, seemed to be surprised to see the prince. He bowed quickly over the stall. “What can I do for you today?”

“Can I have a look at your daggers?” Hiccup asked. “There were some really fine ones that I saw with Astrid the other day.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Gobber bowed again, to which Hiccup scoffed, then went in the back of the shop.

“Gobber, you know you don’t have to bow to me a million times,” Hiccup said when the man returned, arms full of sheathed daggers. He set them down on the stall. 

“I know, Highness,” Gobber said bashfully. “It’s just a habit.”

Viggo watched as Hiccup picked up one of the daggers, unsheathed it, and inspected it, turning it over in his hand. He did that with a few more of them, silently, thinking. He got a serious look on his face when he was thinking, and Viggo could see the gears turning in his head. It wasn’t an unattractive look. 

“What do you think of this one?” Hiccup asked Viggo, turning to him. The dagger had a ruby embedded in its pommel, and the blade shone brightly in the sun. 

“I think that’s an excellent choice,” Viggo said truthfully. “Though, I find it a little strange that you’re giving a lady a weapon.”

“Astrid isn’t exactly a lady,” Hiccup said, then turned back to Gobber. “How much for this one?”

Gobber gave the price, and Hiccup doled out gold and silver coins from his pouch. Then he was saying goodbye, (with Gobber giving another bow.)

“Where to now, my Royal Highness?” Viggo asked. 

That’s when Hiccup gave him a sly smile, and suddenly took off running into the crowd.

_Fuck_ , Viggo thought. He was only caught off guard for a moment, and then he was running in the direction Hiccup had gone. He couldn’t lose him _again_. Just after he’d thought he was going to have a good day. Of course.

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart.](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

Hiccup ran through the crowd, not sure where he was going, but sure that he wanted to play around with Viggo. Well, Viggo wouldn’t see it as playing around, but Hiccup did. He looked behind him to check where Viggo was, couldn’t see him in the crowd, and ran directly into somebody. They crashed to the ground, Hiccup on top of the other, smaller man.

“Hey!”

“Snotlout?” Hiccup got up, brushed himself off, then held out a hand to help Snotlout up. The short man looked upset to have been run into.

“You got dirt on my clothes, H!” Snotlout cried. “Now how am I supposed to win her over?”

“Win who over?”

“Astrid, obviously.” Snotlout was brushing himself off in frustration. Then, he saw what Hiccup was holding in his hand. “What’s that?” He pointed at the dagger.

“Oh, uh, it’s, um…” Hiccup couldn’t come up with a good lie. He wasn’t very good at lying. “Wait, what do you mean Astrid? You know the two of us are getting married, right?”

“Well, not unless I swoop in and woo her,” Snotlout said with a wink. “No, but seriously, who’s the dagger for?”

“Maybe I bought it for myself.” Hiccup held it close to his chest, afraid that Snotlout would try to take it. 

“Uh huh, but you don’t use daggers,” Snotlout said. He suddenly swiped at it, and Hiccup held it high above his head. There. Now Snotlout couldn’t get it. Snotlout looked up at the dagger in frustration, then at Hiccup. “It’s for Astrid, isn’t it?”

“Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t.”

“Can I just have a look at it?” Snotlout asked. 

Hiccup sighed. Maybe Snotlout really did just want to examine it. He lowered his hand, then gave the dagger to Snotlout.

“Ha!” Snotlout took off. “Sucker! Now Astrid will _have_ to marry me!”

“Snotlout!”

Hiccup ran after him, his stump complaining loudly at the action. Maybe Hiccup shouldn’t have run away from Viggo in the first place with how his leg was feeling, but he’d been feeling mischievous. As he ran after Snotlout, he wondered where Viggo was, how close he was to catching up with him. 

Hiccup overcame Snotlout in an alleyway. He tackled him to the ground, wrested the dagger from his hand. They scuffled a little more, but then separated, both gasping for breath.

“Snotlout, you’re the worst,” Hiccup gasped out, standing. He had to lean more on his right leg than his left. 

“Thanks. I try.”

“Hiccup!” The angry yell came from the end of the alley. Hiccup looked to see Viggo striding towards him, a little out of breath. “Why on Thor’s green Earth do you run off like that?”

Hiccup gave him what he hoped was a winning smile. “Just trying to play around.” 

Viggo suddenly grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder and pinned him against the wall. For a moment, Hiccup was stunned, but then he put his smile back into place. An angry Viggo was exactly what he’d wanted out of this. 

“Well, your playing around is going to get you killed someday!” Viggo growled, getting near his face, almost nose-to-nose with him. “And what do you think this kingdom will do without an heir? Hm? Do you even _think_ these things through? Tell me! Do you?!”

Oh. Viggo had snapped. Hiccup’s smile faltered. 

“Um…” He looked to see if Snotlout could help him, but his friend was quietly leaving, eyes wide. He was leaving Hiccup alone to this.

“No, look at _me,_ ” Viggo commanded, and though Hiccup was above him in rank, he felt like he had to follow the order. Their gazes met, and the tension between them was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. “You don’t think these things through, do you?” He gave him a shake.

“Not… not really?” Hiccup answered tentatively. He knew that would incur more of Viggo’s anger. 

Except it didn’t. Viggo just let go of him, probably realizing he’d gone too far. He sighed, rubbed a hand over his face. “We’re going back to the castle right this instant,” he said. “No stops, no detours. To your rooms.”

“You’re not my dad!” Hiccup snapped, not at all happy about this. “You can’t tell me what to do!”

“And I’m sure your father would think you look very princely with dirt all over you,” Viggo said with a smirk.

“And _I’m_ sure my father would _love_ to hear about how you laid a hand on me,” Hiccup threatened, eyes glittering dangerously. Two could play at this game. If Viggo wanted Hiccup humiliated, then Hiccup would make sure he lost his job. 

Viggo blinked, seeming to understand the depth of the situation. “Fine,” he said. “Do what you wish, and I will follow.”

Hiccup straightened his coat with one hand, the other still clutching the dagger. “Good. And my father won’t be hearing anything about this from either of us.” So he strode pompously out of the alleyway, pretending he wasn’t covered in dirt, and that his pride hadn’t just been hurt. He tried his best not to limp.

  
  


Viggo entered his room with a tired sigh. He didn’t have to guard the prince tonight, which he was glad for after the eventful day he’d had. He went around lighting some candles, then began taking off his armor. When he got to his belt, he realized something: the flower Hiccup had given him earlier was tucked into it, a little crushed, but otherwise unharmed. He took it from his belt, looked at it, twirled it around. He wasn’t sure why, but he placed it down on his nightstand. It looked lonely there. 

_Probably just as lonely as me._

After taking off his armor and hanging it neatly, he sat on his bed, thinking. Yes, this job paid well, and he got to live in spacious rooms in the castle, and he had basically everything he wanted, but he felt lonely. This job had isolated him from the other knights - not like he’d been good friends with a lot of them anyway. All his life, Viggo had found it hard to make friends. He just… didn’t find it in himself to like a lot of people. He valued things that a lot of people didn’t have: a quick wit, intelligence, someone who could stand up to him.

Hiccup had stood up to him today. Yes, Viggo’s anger had been justified, but he shouldn’t have lain a hand on him. Hiccup could very easily make him lose his job if he wanted to, and maybe now he did. 

But Hiccup was smart too, despite not always paying attention to his lessons. He was smarter than anyone gave him credit for, really. Viggo had seen it, in his 2 years of guarding him. When it came to real things, he could come up with ingenious solutions at the snap of someone’s fingers. Stoick had him preside over court sometimes, listen to people’s problems, and the answers he came up with were always intelligent. 

And Viggo had seen drawings in Hiccup’s rooms, sketches of things he would invent. Sometimes he saw him fiddling with pieces, and he always wanted to ask what they did, but it wasn’t his place. Supposedly, Gobber the blacksmith helped him out with these things and got him the pieces that he needed. Viggo wondered why he didn’t just use the castle blacksmith. Perhaps he had and they’d had a falling out of some sort. 

Here Viggo was admiring him again! Admiring him after all the frustrations and pains he put him through. Gods, what had gotten into his head? 

_I need a drink._ Glad that he had yet to take off his boots, Viggo stood, and left his rooms to go in search of one.

  
  


After bathing and getting into his night clothes, Hiccup took his crown from his wardrobe, placed it on his head, and stared at himself in the mirror. It wasn’t out of vanity. No. He felt like, though the crown had been made to perfectly fit his head, it didn’t suit him. Yes, he liked all of the rich and fancy clothing he had, but this? This looked too… too kingly. And he was _going_ to be a king someday. It just reminded him of that. 

The crown sat heavy on his head. 

“ _Mrow?_ ” 

Hiccup looked down to see Toothless staring at him. He rubbed his head against his leg in a sign of affection. 

Hiccup smiled. “Love you too, Toothless. You ready for bed?”

Toothless made an affirmative meowing noise, and so Hiccup took the crown and replaced it in his wardrobe. He sat down and pulled off his prosthetic with a groan. His leg really had been hurting him that day, and he had to be stupid and run off. 

_“Do you even_ think _these things through?”_ Viggo’s voice rang in his mind, and he could see the anger in his eyes like he was right in front of him. Hiccup rubbed at his leg with a grimace, as he thought of Viggo’s anger, as he remembered being pinned to the wall by him. Something about that had deeply upset him, but… had excited him at the same time. There was a tension around Viggo, something that needed to be poked and prodded at, and Hiccup was the right person to do it. But, maybe today really had been a stupid choice. His leg had already been hurting, and then he’d run into Snotlout. Snotlout could be annoying, yes, but he was still a friend.

It had been a long day, really. First, the argument with Astrid, then the conversation with Fishlegs, then all the shenanigans out in the town. Hiccup was tired and hurting. He had a bruise on his left cheek from his scuffle with Snotlout. Makeup could cover that, if he needed to do anything important the next day. His father hadn’t told him he’d be presiding over court though, so he was probably safe. 

Hiccup got into bed, and Toothless went with him, nuzzling into the crook of one arm. Hiccup smiled at him. Toothless had been a constant companion for him for 12 years, and he hoped there would be many more to come.

Hiccup looked at the dagger that he’d gotten Astrid. He’d put it on one nightstand for now. It glimmered in the dwindling candlelight. He just hoped she would like it, hoped that it would fix what had happened. Hiccup felt stupid. He felt stupid for letting slip that he didn’t want to get married; he felt stupid for running off. 

“I really am just a spoiled brat of a prince, aren’t I?” Hiccup asked the silence, staring up at his ceiling. Toothless was purring. He didn’t care about what Hiccup had said. 

Knowing there was someone outside his door protecting it, but knowing that that person wasn’t Viggo, and feeling odd and lonely about it, Hiccup rolled over, and shut his eyes. The most he could do at the moment was try to sleep. 

  
  


Viggo didn’t drink much, but he was happy to down a mug of mead at his favorite tavern to wash away his troubles. He didn’t notice that someone was approaching him until the person sat down across from him.

“Viggo Grimborn, a surprise to see you here.”

“Frida?” Viggo looked up from his mug. He was going to need a second one. He’d had romantic and sexual relations with this woman in the past, but they were amicable towards each other. Viggo saw no reason to be aggressive towards someone that he’d used to feel for romantically. 

Frida pulled down the dripping hood of her cloak, shook out her red curls. It must have been raining out - Viggo hadn’t brought a cloak with him and would get soaked on the way back to the castle. 

“Well, that’s not much of a hello.”

“Just surprised to see you as well.” Viggo sat back, trying to make himself appear comfortable and relaxed, when really, he was stressed and overthinking. 

Frida placed her arms on the table, leaned forward. “So, what are you doing here?”

“Escaping my problems,” Viggo answered. He lifted his mug and took another sip of mead.

“And what problems would those be?”

Viggo ran a hand through his hair, sighed in exasperation. “The prince.” 

Frida laughed. “You know, Viggo, most people would be happy to be in your position.”

“Oh, it’s not about the job, really,” Viggo said. Guarding someone? He could do that. Constantly having to chase after the prince because he saw it fit to recklessly run off? He was sick of that. “It’s the prince himself. He’s… he’s spoiled and reckless and likes to run off. He’s unpredictable. Sometimes he’s good and makes the job easy, and sometimes he just veers into a crowd and leaves me lost. I don’t know what to do about him if he won’t take his own safety into his concerns.”

Frida nodded. “I did hear that about him.” She tapped a server as she came by and ordered herself an ale, and Viggo ordered another mead. “So why do you keep the job?” she asked after. “Certainly being a knight is resplendent all on its own.”

“It is,” Viggo said. He’d been named knight after proving himself to Stoick in many battles. “But this job pays better.”

Frida rolled her eyes. “You and money. It’s always money you want.”

Viggo was offended by her words. “No, not always!”

“Then what else do you want?”

“I…” Viggo stopped. He sat back in his chair, rubbed over his beard. “I don’t know.” It was the truth. Now that he was the prince’s chief bodyguard, he didn’t know what he wanted from his life. He felt lonely and isolated, and like the only thing that mattered was guarding Hiccup. 

Frida’s ale arrived, and so did Viggo’s second mug of mead. He took it gratefully, took a long drink.

“You don’t know?” Frida asked as he was drinking.

Viggo swallowed, lowered his mug, wiped at his upper lip. “No, I don’t.”

“Then why don’t you quit the job?” Frida asked. “Quit it and just get out in the world and explore. Find what really suits you.”

“This does suit me.”

Frida shook her head. “No, Viggo. I don’t think it does.”

“But the prince-”

“What about him?”

“He… he intrigues me,” Viggo realized. He wanted to know what made Hiccup tick. But how could he figure that out if he couldn’t get close to him? Hiccup didn’t seem to want Viggo to get close to him. He wondered why. Had the prince had issues with other bodyguards in the past? Was that why he acted the way he did around him?

“Oh,” Frida said knowingly. She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“No, not like that!” Viggo slapped a hand on the table.

“Admit it, Viggo: You like him.”

“I do not. He’s a… a pest! A brat!”

“Mm hm,” Frida hummed into her ale. She very much wasn’t believing him.

Viggo’s cheeks burned in a rare show of emotion. Maybe… maybe what Frida was saying was right. He was intrigued by the prince, and he even admired him sometimes. But he couldn’t… There was no way it could happen, never mind be allowed. 

“It wouldn’t be allowed,” Viggo said. “Besides, the prince doesn’t let me get close to him.” Though, he thought of that rare show of vulnerability that had happened that day, of Hiccup asking if he’d ever had romantic relationships and wondering about advice for his own. Usually Hiccup didn’t talk to him about such things. Viggo just observed and kept his opinions to himself. 

Frida suddenly laughed.

“What? What’s so funny?” She was in on some joke that Viggo certainly wasn’t. 

“You’re hopeless,” she said. And then she picked up her ale, and drank deeply. The conversation was over. Viggo did the same with his mead, hoping he wouldn’t be nursing a headache the next day. And hoping that Hiccup wouldn’t be too angry with him about what had happened that day. 

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart.](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 4

Viggo stood with his back straight and his hands clasped in front of him as he watched a servant apply makeup to Hiccup’s left cheek. He was going to see Astrid that day with his apology and the dagger, and didn’t want to look like he’d gotten into a fight. Astrid probably wouldn’t mind, as she and Hiccup sparred together and sometimes bruised the other, but Hiccup most likely thought it was un-princely, and didn’t want to tell her that he’d gotten into a fight with Snotlout. 

“You know, Your Highness,” Viggo began with a smirk, “You wouldn’t be needing this if you had just stayed by my side.” 

Hiccup sighed. “I thought you made your point clear yesterday, Viggo.”

“No harm in reiterating it.”

Hiccup made an annoyed growling sound, but didn’t say anything. Viggo’s smirk deepened. Was he going to be an ass about this? Yes, as much as he could. He just hoped Hiccup could take it.

Hiccup looked in a hand mirror once the servant pulled away. He reached a hand up to his face, but dropped it, before he could touch it and smudge the makeup.

“Thank you,” he said to the woman, dipping his head towards her. He smiled at her. “Can’t exactly visit my fiancée with bruises on my face.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” The servant bowed, and then was leaving the room. 

Hiccup went to his wardrobe, began pulling out clothes to wear for the day. Viggo couldn’t help watching as Hiccup took off his shirt with his back turned, revealing perfect, freckled skin and strong shoulders. A blush creeping up his cheeks, he turned away. He was supposed to guard the prince, not ogle him as he undressed. 

In a minute or so, Hiccup made it clear that Viggo could turn around. Hiccup was in a blue coat with silver embroidery, and supple, black leather pants and boots.

“How do I look?” he asked.

Viggo didn’t understand why Hiccup always sought his opinion on his sense of dress, especially when Viggo couldn’t lie about it without upsetting him. But, Viggo never had to lie. Hiccup always looked good, even in simple clothing. 

“Spectacular, Your Highness.”

Hiccup smiled. “Alright.” He grabbed the dagger from his nightstand. “Let’s go visit Astrid.”

Lady Astrid had been given rooms in the castle while waiting for the impending marriage. Hiccup could have just walked in and had Viggo announce him, but instead, he knocked. Viggo knew he wouldn’t cross Astrid’s boundaries like that. 

He just stood by while Hiccup waited for a response. He inwardly hoped he would get one. He didn’t want Hiccup’s relationship with Astrid to be ruined, especially if they were supposed to be married. The marriage left a sour note in him though, and he wasn’t exactly sure why. He thought of Frida’s words from the night before. No, he didn’t like Hiccup. Not in that way, and not one bit. 

Then why did he always stop to admire him, either physically or intellectually?

Viggo shook the thoughts out of his head as he heard Astrid respond from the other side of the door. 

“I’m just getting ready. Who is it?”

“It’s… it’s Hiccup.”

“Oh.” 

Hiccup pressed an arm against the door, but didn’t move to open it. “Look, Astrid, I know I messed up. I know I made you upset. And… I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

Viggo hadn’t expected this conversation to go on with a door between the two lovers, but he supposed that it made sense if Astrid didn’t want to open it. 

Astrid’s voice sounded closer when she spoke again. “So you didn’t mean it? You still want to marry me?”

“Yes. I do.”

The door opened, and Hiccup almost toppled over, having been leaning his weight on it. He bumped into Astrid, who was in a white dressing gown and nothing more, her hair down as well. Viggo politely turned his head. He had seen many things while being a knight and bodyguard, but that didn’t mean he wanted to stare. 

“Oh, sorry, Hiccup!” Astrid exclaimed. She caught and steadied him, then giggled. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” Viggo could hear the smile in Hiccup’s words. He busied himself with looking around the hallway as the two spoke, but he couldn’t help hearing their words.

“I, uh, I got this for you,” Hiccup said. Viggo could picture him offering up the dagger.

“Oh, Hiccup!” He heard the weapon being unsheathed. “Look at it! It’s beautiful!”

“I knew you would like it.”

A pause, then the sound of lips touching each other. 

“So, is all forgiven, Lady Astrid?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hiccup progressed into the room, so Viggo stepped back and closed the doors, locking them as well. It would be no good letting someone come in while the prince was attending to his fiancée.

Viggo stood stoically as Hiccup took Astrid over to a couch and sat with her, and their lips touched. He didn’t know how he felt about Hiccup kissing Astrid, but, then again, it didn’t really matter. As a bodyguard, he wasn’t supposed to judge or feel things about the prince’s doings. He was just supposed to make sure he was safe. 

“Hiccup, what’s this?” Astrid asked. She’d touched his face, and now her hand came away with makeup.

“Oh, um…” Hiccup blushed a little. “I got into a fight with Snotlout yesterday. Didn’t think I would look nice coming over here with a bruise on my face.” 

“What was the fight about?” Astrid asked.

“He stole the dagger from me,” Hiccup answered. 

Viggo tried hard not to shake his head. None of that would have happened had Hiccup just stayed by his side. But now he had a bruise on his face and had to explain to his love that he’d gotten into a fight. He wanted to be an ass about it, but decided he would only do that while in public. His job wasn’t to speak. It was to be attentive and smart. 

“Oh, Snotlout.” Astrid shook her head. “That’s so him.” She hadn’t known Hiccup’s friends for nearly as long as Hiccup had, but she was part of the group now, whether she liked it or not.

“Yeah.” Hiccup scratched at the back of his head. “I was wondering if we could go see my friends today. I sent a missive out. We’re supposed to meet in the garden for brunch.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Astrid said. She rose gracefully. “Just let me go get dressed.” 

Hiccup watched her as she went into another room, probably her bedchamber, and shut the door. 

Viggo smirked a little. “I’m surprised you told her.”

“What was I supposed to do? Lie? I’m not very good at that.”

“No, you’re not,” Viggo agreed, and Hiccup scowled at him.

“Are you trying to make my life harder?”

Viggo couldn’t help smiling jokingly at him. “Perhaps.”

Hiccup sighed, stood, began pacing. Even with part of his leg missing, it was hard to keep him still for very long. His metal prosthetic clicked on the stone floor. He’d made the prosthetic himself, Viggo had been told, and he’d caught Hiccup working on it as well. It was the best anyone could possibly make, and Hiccup had put out his design for others to use as well. Certainly he wasn’t the only one in the kingdom with an amputated leg. 

“You’ll work up a sweat that way,” Viggo told him.

“Bah. Who cares. I’ll be outside anyway.” Hiccup stopped, turned thoughtfully to Viggo. “Have you talked to my father recently?”

“Not in a little bit, why?”

“He seems… busy,” Hiccup mused, coming closer. “Distant. Well, more distant than usual. I just want to know that everything’s okay.”

“He didn’t mention anything being wrong to me,” Viggo assured him. “But perhaps you should talk to him yourself.”

“That’s a good idea,” Hiccup said. “Later.” 

Hiccup bounced on his feet with his hands behind his back as he waited for Astrid to get dressed. Viggo was used to waiting, so he stood stock-still. 

“Hiccup?”

“Hm?” Hiccup approached Astrid’s bedchamber.

“Can I have some help lacing up my dress? I usually have a servant do it, but since you’re here…” She sounded a little embarrassed. 

Hiccup’s face turned a delightful shade of pink. Delightful? Now why would Viggo be thinking that? He looked to Viggo, seemingly asking him what to do.

Viggo made a motion towards the door, quietly said: “Go on.” This _was_ his fiancée after all. They’d be doing much more intimate things than helping with clothes once they were married.

A pit in Viggo’s stomach thinking about that. He would probably _hear_ what those other more intimate things were, being Hiccup’s guard and all. Or maybe Viggo could have someone else guard him on his wedding night. But no, it wouldn’t look right. Viggo would have to be there.

Hiccup had gone into the room to help Astrid, so Viggo was alone, given a moment to show a little emotion. He sighed, ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. 

In a minute or so, Hiccup and Astrid came back into the room, Astrid wearing a blue dress that accentuated her breasts and her hips. Viggo didn’t mean to notice, but it was difficult not to.

“To the garden?” Viggo asked, reaching for the doorknob.

Hiccup nodded with a smile. The makeup had been smudged on his face and a little bit of his bruise was showing. Viggo unlocked and opened the door for them, and they went out into the hallway.

  
  


It was a hot summer day, and so Hiccup took off his coat once he was outside, leaving himself in just a white, flowy shirt. His friends were there in a circle on the grass, waiting for him. Servants had set out all sorts of food for brunch. Viggo’s mouth watered a little at the sight of the cakes and cheese and bread, but he wouldn’t be able to join unless he was explicitly asked to, which was unlikely. He had eaten earlier, and would be fine.

“There the two lovebirds are!” Ruffnut exclaimed as Hiccup and Astrid sat with them. “Did you two get caught up, with, you know?” She wiggled her eyebrows at them. 

“No!” Hiccup and Astrid shouted almost simultaneously. 

“You think we would do that before our marriage?” Astrid asked.

“And with Viggo watching?” Hiccup added. Hiccup glanced over at him, but he was the only one to do so. 

“Well, you two do seem to be kind of glued to each other,” Snotlout pointed out. He patted himself on the chest. “Astrid, you should be glued to me.”

It took all Viggo had to not roll his eyes. Snotlout was a pompous ass, if you asked him, and Viggo didn’t know how the group tolerated him. Well, to be fair, Viggo didn’t really understand how Hiccup tolerated any of his friends, save for Fishlegs. Fishlegs was quiet, kind, and thoughtful, while the others were loud and rambunctious. Hiccup could be thoughtful if he wanted to be, and he overheard many an intellectual conversation between him and Fishlegs. He wanted to join in, on occasion, but it wasn’t his place.

Everyone save for Snotlout made a sound of disgust at that. Viggo had no idea why Snotlout was vying for Astrid’s affections when she was engaged to Hiccup, and when she clearly wasn’t interested in him. It was absolutely ridiculous.

Viggo tuned out the rest of the conversation the group engaged in as they had their brunch. Brunch turned into rambunctious wrestling and playing around the garden. Even the women in their dresses joined in. Viggo grieved for the servants that would have to get the grass and dirt stains out of their clothing. 

Eventually, they were all just laying around in the sun, sweating, breathing hard, but smiling. Viggo was sweating in his armor, but couldn’t show that he was uncomfortable. He saw Hiccup entwine his fingers with Astrid’s, then give her a kiss on the cheek. Something sizzled in Viggo at seeing that, but he didn’t know what it was.

Then the friends were parting ways, and Viggo was escorting Hiccup and Astrid back to Astrid’s chambers. Hiccup had put his coat back on to hide the grass stains on his white shirt, not wanting to walk around the castle looking like he was dirty. The makeup had completely smudged off his cheek and the purple bruise was very visible. 

Hiccup gave Astrid a parting kiss, and then he was sauntering down the hallway, hands in the pockets of his pants, looking pleased with himself. Viggo hoped he didn’t have it in him to run off. That was the last thing he needed, especially after yesterday. 

“Thinking of where you’re going to run off to to get away from me?” Viggo questioned. 

“Nah,” Hiccup said. “I actually forgot you were there earlier.”

That… hurt for some reason. Viggo knew he was something to be overlooked and forgotten, especially by his charge, but it still didn’t feel very good. Gods, what if Frida had been right? 

Viggo said nothing to that, just kept his posture the same and his face impassive. He couldn’t show that what the prince had said had hurt him. 

There was nothing else to say to press at Hiccup as he escorted him to his father’s chambers. As they reached the door, Hiccup brushed himself off, then fixed his hair. Without thinking, Viggo reached over to remove a blade of grass from his hair. Hiccup just met his gaze in surprise, opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. Viggo just dropped the blade of grass, feeling like words had failed him. 

“Um… just… just wait outside,” Hiccup ordered. Then he was going into his father’s chambers and leaving Viggo alone with his thoughts, as he often was. 

  
  


“Dad?” Hiccup called as he entered. He closed and locked the door behind him. “Dad, are you in here?”

“In here, son,” his father called from his study. Hiccup strode in acting confident, though, confident was really the last thing he felt around his father. He felt like a twig in size in comparison to him, and he felt like he never measured up to how he wanted him to be. 

Stoick had his back turned to him, was looking out the glass-paned windows into the courtyard below. Hiccup came up to the window as well, looked down to see knights running training exercises in the courtyard. 

“H-how have you been?” Hiccup asked. “Haven’t seen you in a bit.”

Stoick looked like he wanted to run a hand through his hair, but he kept it up in a bun. Instead, he tugged at his beard. “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy with what?” Hiccup was always curious, especially about the workings of his father and king. 

“Ah, nothing you should concern yourself with,” Stoick answered. He turned away from the window, looked to Hiccup with a smile, but it faltered when he saw the bruise on his face. “Hiccup, how many times have I told you not to get into fights?”

“As many times as there have been fights,” Hiccup responded. 

“What was it this time?”

“Snotlout stole something I bought for Astrid.”

“Did you get it back?”

“Yeah.”

“With Viggo’s help I’m sure.”

Hiccup rubbed at the back of his neck, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “Actually, I ran away from him yesterday.”

Stoick made a discontented huffing sound. “Of course you did.”

“Dad, I’m sorry. I just-”

“Don’t care enough about your own safety or the safety of this kingdom.”

Hiccup’s head shot up at his words. “The safety of this kingdom? What’s that got to do with me running off sometimes?”

Stoick grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders. “Because you’re the next in line!” It wasn’t a shout, but his voice was still harsh. “Are you going to act all irresponsible like this when I’m gone?”

“What? Dad, this was just about a silly scuffle with a friend!”

“Right, right.” Stoick cleared his throat, let go of Hiccup. “Why do you keep those friends of yours?” he asked tiredly.

“Because I care about them.”

“Even Snotlout?”

“Yes, even Snotlout.” Hiccup wanted to show his dad that he had thought through these friendships. “Besides, they’ll be lords someday. Wouldn’t it be good for me to have their loyalty and allegiance?”

“By fighting with them in alleyways?”

It was Hiccup’s turn to sigh. He turned away from his father. “It was just one fight,” he said quietly, ashamed.

“One out of too many,” Stoick said. “Hiccup, you’ve got to step up and stop… stop acting like a child.”

Hiccup wanted to snap at him, tell him that he didn’t act like a child, but he knew he did. Viggo’s rant at him yesterday had proven that. His _actions_ had proven that. Adults didn’t run from their bodyguards just to play around with them and make them upset. 

“I’ll try,” Hiccup said, still not looking at Stoick.

“You always say that,” Stoick said. It sounded finite, like the end to their conversation. Hiccup was okay with that. There was nothing more to say to his father, and his father clearly had nothing more to say to him either. Silently, he left his apartments. 

  
  


It was after dinner with the evening sun cutting orange into the room that Hiccup asked Viggo a strange question. 

“Have you ever kissed anyone?”

At first, Viggo didn’t realize that Hiccup was talking to him. He looked around the room to see if anyone else was there, then pointed at himself. Hiccup nodded. 

“Well, of course I’ve kissed someone,” Viggo answered. He’d had sex as well, something he was sure the prince had no experience with.

“What did it feel like?” Hiccup sat on the edge of his couch, a book forgotten next to him, Toothless curled up sleeping on his other side. 

Viggo furrowed his brows together. “Why are you asking me this?”

“I just… I want to know that I’m not doing something wrong,” Hiccup said. “With Astrid, that is.”

“And you couldn’t have asked any of your friends this?” Viggo asked.

Hiccup laughed. “Do you think they’ve had much romantic experience?”

Viggo chuckled a little. “Alright, no.”

A moment of silence. Then: “So, what did it feel like?”

“Warm,” Viggo answered. “Sometimes like flint striking together, sometimes like the last glowing embers of a fire.”

Hiccup looked down at the floor. “Oh.”

“Oh, what?” Viggo was very curious now. Though, he found it strange that he was talking to the prince about kissing. That wasn’t part of his job. There was something stirring in him though, something he wasn’t sure he wanted. 

“I… don’t feel anything,” Hiccup told him, still looking at the floor. “I don’t feel anything when I kiss Astrid.”

“Perhaps you will in time.” Viggo didn’t want Hiccup to doubt his relationship with Astrid. The marriage was important for the kingdom. “Relationships take work, after all.”

Hiccup sighed. “What if I didn’t just have a slip of the tongue the other day?”

“What do you mean?”

Hiccup lifted his head to meet Viggo’s gaze, hands clasped between his legs. “What if I don’t want to get married?”

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

Viggo rolled over in his massive bed for what felt like the millionth time. He couldn’t sleep. It was hot, and his mind wouldn’t leave what had happened earlier with Hiccup. 

_“What if I don’t want to get married?”_

_Viggo stood stockstill for a moment, in shock._

_“Hiccup, you_ have _to get married. You need heirs. You need unity within the kingdom.”_

_“But I can’t.” Hiccup stood, shook his head. “Not to Astrid. Not now.”_

_“Hiccup, you’re a man,” Viggo said. “An adult. A_ prince _. You have to. For the kingdom.”_

_“Fuck the kingdom!” Hiccup shouted. He turned his back to Viggo, pulled at his hair, leaving Viggo blinking in shock. “You heard me the other day, Viggo. You know I don’t want this. You know I want to be somebody, some_ thing _else.”_

_“But you can’t be something else,” Viggo said. “You were born a prince.”_

_Hiccup walked over and kicked at the wall next to Viggo, and it would have made an untrained man jump._

_“Shut up,” he told Viggo._

_“Hiccup-”_

_Hiccup suddenly struck him in the face with the palm of his hand. It was a hard blow that turned his head to the side and made him grunt. Viggo tasted blood on his tongue._

_“I told you to be quiet.” Hiccup stared intensely at him, and Viggo met his gaze, but not in a challenge. “That’s an order, Grimborn.”_

_Hiccup stalked away into his bedchamber and slammed the door shut. And locked it. Only once Viggo was alone did he reach a hand up to feel at the blood on his lip._

So Viggo was stuck with a split lip and a bruise on his face from the slap. He hadn’t known that Hiccup possessed that kind of strength. It almost felt like his face still stung from the initial strike, but he knew that wasn’t possible. He was just reliving it. 

He hadn’t expected Hiccup to do that. Not after the ways he’d been opening up to him and talking to him recently. It had made Viggo put his guard down and think he could talk to him frankly. But he couldn’t. That wasn’t his place. 

Viggo rolled over again. Hiccup was left-handed just like him, so he’d hit the right side of his face. Now, his right rested against cool pillows. Maybe he should have asked one of the servants for ice. 

Ice that would have melted all too fast in this heat. As Viggo finally began to drift off, sweat cooling in the curve of his back, he wondered how Hiccup was sleeping. 

  
  


Hiccup wasn’t sleeping. He’d paced a lot once he’d gone into his room after hitting Viggo, then had laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Only when he heard the guard change did he open the door and go collect Toothless from the couch. He didn’t want to see Viggo, didn’t want to talk to him. He’d opened up too much to him, and it had made him forget his place. He’d been in the right in hitting him… hadn’t he?

_But then again, who’s ever in the right when hitting someone?_ Hiccup rolled over, careful of Toothless’ sleeping form. He lay in bed shirtless, his windows open to try to let in any draft at all. It was a hot night in the castle, and Hiccup found himself wishing for cooler weather. 

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Hiccup muttered quietly. “I shouldn’t have hit him.” 

Because now he was remembering the way Viggo had looked at him fondly when pulling the grass from his hair. Or the way he’d opened up and talked about what kissing felt like. He hadn’t had to do any of those things, but he’d done it anyway. But why? Out of care for Hiccup? The idea was preposterous! 

_I should still apologize to him in the morning_ , Hiccup thought. He usually didn’t give someone lower in station than himself that wasn’t a friend an apology, but Viggo deserved it, didn’t he? But… he was also an ass sometimes. Maybe being slapped would knock that out of him, and apologizing would just ruin that. 

Hiccup sighed and stroked Toothless’ head. His friend made a little squeaking noise at that, rousing briefly from his slumber. 

“What should I do, Toothless?” Hiccup asked. There was the matter of seeing Astrid tomorrow, after having stated out loud that he didn’t want to marry her. Maybe he could talk to his dad about it. He didn’t want to hurt Astrid’s feelings though. He cared for her, just not in the way that she thought he did. His feelings felt complicated and all over the place over something so simple. Don’t complain, get married, stop talking to the bodyguard. Simple, right? 

Hiccup rolled onto his back, still petting Toothless, his other hand going to his forehead. Not so simple, really. It didn’t feel that way when he didn’t want the direction his life was going in. And Viggo was there constantly. Of course he talked to him! He saw and heard everything that transpired in his life. Why _shouldn’t_ he talk to him?

“Yeah, but you just ask about stupid things like kissing,” Hiccup berated himself. He stared up at the plain ceiling as if it would have answers written there. 

Then, with a sigh, he closed his eyes, rolled over again, and tried to sleep. 

  
  


_A hand running through hair. Skin against skin. Viggo’s faceless partner had been richly clothed, but now was wearing no such garments. He thrusted into him, holding onto his hips, feeling like fire was bursting in his core. All he saw were freckled shoulders that looked oddly familiar, auburn hair, a back that curved into a luscious ass that was taking his cock. Viggo moaned, heavily enjoying this._

_And then his partner looked back at him, and Viggo recognized who it was._

_Prince Hiccup stared at him with terribly green eyes._

  
  


Viggo jumped awake with a gasp. He found himself sitting up, sweat dripping off of him like he’d just been doing what he had in his dream. 

He leaned over, put a hand to his forehead. Why… would he have that kind of dream about the prince? And he was hard too, as if his body really wanted it. Sex? With the prince? Never mind that it was forbidden - he just didn’t want it!

_Then why did I dream about it?_

Viggo laid back down, determined not to take care of the problem between his legs. It was calling him, but that didn’t matter. He could ignore it. He hadn’t had sex in quite a while though, and his body wanted release. 

He groaned in frustration and looked out the window. Still dark. Though, he felt like he wouldn’t get anymore sleep that night. When he closed his eyes, all he saw were the green of Hiccup’s. 

  
  


Hiccup came out of his room the next morning to find a guard that he’d never seen before. 

“Uh, hello,” he said. 

The guard just nodded his head in greeting. 

“Wh-where’s Viggo?” 

The man shrugged. “I was put on this detail early this morning.”

Hm. That was strange. Had… had Viggo quit because Hiccup had hit him? Would he really do something like that? Or would he just take a punishment from a royal like he was supposed to? 

But then if he had quit he could be going and saying things about Hiccup, telling people that he’d asked him stupid questions about romance and kissing. He could tell people that he didn’t want to get married. 

Forget all other plans he’d made for the day: Hiccup had to track down Viggo and make sure he wasn’t spreading rumors about him.

“Your father wanted you to go to your lessons today,” the guard said as Hiccup began heading back into his bedchamber to dress.

Hiccup groaned. Today of all days? 

“Really?” he turned around and asked. 

“Yes, really,” the guard responded. 

“Ugh…” Hiccup groaned again. He thought of ways he could possibly get out of it - bribery was something that came to mind - but this man seemed unflappable. He knew from bribing other people when and where it wouldn’t work, and this was one of those times. So, he would go to his lessons, _then_ hunt down Viggo. 

Hiccup closed his bedchamber doors and began getting ready for the day. Getting ready for the day included giving Toothless lots of cuddles and listening to him purr. He’d be fed by one of the servants. Toothless always got to eat rich and expensive foods. He was a pampered cat, and Hiccup wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Hiccup went to his lessons with the new guard escorting him. He really hoped he wouldn’t be a replacement for Viggo. Phlegma was quick to point out the cat fur all over Hiccup’s coat, seeming to even not like Toothless when he wasn’t around. Hiccup just huffed and sat down.

He tried paying attention as Phlegma went over a battle from long ago - he really did - but his mind was on Viggo. Gods, what was he telling the other knights? That the prince was pathetic and whiny? That he couldn’t handle his responsibilities? That he was frigid, of all things, because he didn’t feel anything from kissing Astrid? Gah, Hiccup really shouldn’t have spoken with him about all these things. He especially shouldn’t have hit him the night before. 

Once three hours of his lessons had gone by and he was finally let out, Hiccup was hungry. He realized he’d forgotten breakfast. But that could wait. Finding Viggo and putting a stop to any rumors was more important than eating. First, he would go to his father. He’d assigned the detail this morning, so he would know what had happened to his bodyguard. 

The new guard stayed outside while Hiccup went into his dad’s rooms. He wasn’t there, so the next place to look was the throne room. Hiccup hoped he wouldn’t be interrupting something, but he really had to know where Viggo was and if he had quit. 

The new guard seemed exasperated with Hiccup wandering the castle like this, but said nothing about it. Viggo would have said something. And Hiccup wished that he had him there to. He didn’t know why. Had he grown attached to Viggo, in some way? 

Hiccup stopped in one hallway for a moment to think. Why was he going to all this trouble over one knight? Surely it wasn’t that important, right? Let rumors be spread. It happened.

But… maybe it wasn’t about the rumors. Maybe it was because Hiccup liked Viggo and needed to apologize to him and couldn’t stand seeing him go without that apology. 

Stoick was in the throne room meeting with his generals. No one noticed Hiccup enter, and so he was able to listen in for a moment. He heard something about Dagur and Berzerk, but the generals’ voices lowered when this was brought up, and Hiccup couldn’t get closer without being noticed. Berzerk was a neighboring kingdom that they’d had very tentative peace with for a few years now. Before, there had been battles, and Viggo had proven himself worthy as a knight in those battles. Dagur was king of Berzerk, an unruly, unwise, king who saw fit to go to battle over the smallest grievances. Hiccup wondered why they were talking about him, but now wasn’t the time. Dagur was far away and of no consequence at the moment. Viggo was around right now and important.

Hiccup cleared his throat to get the attention of his father, stepping forward as he did so. Stoick and all the generals looked at him, quite a few of them looking annoyed for being interrupted. Now, Hiccup felt a little sheepish about what he’d come here for. He did his best to hide it though.

“Um, father, where’s Sir Grimborn?” Hiccup asked. “He’s usually my bodyguard, and uh, he’s not here today.” Nerves tangled in Hiccup’s stomach. Had he quit? Oh gods, he hoped he hadn’t quit. He knew hitting him had been going too far.

“Out in the courtyard training with the other knights,” Stoick answered. “Didn’t want him getting rusty.”

Oh. _Oh._ Thank the gods. Hiccup was rushed through with cool relief, but he hid this as well, not wanting to show that he cared so much about his bodyguard. Instead, he just dipped his head graciously.

“Thank you.”

Alright, so Viggo was just training. He hadn’t quit. It had just so happened that Stoick had drawn him away for said training right after their conflict. It had just been a coincidence. But still, he was with the other knights. What if he was spreading rumors? Or, what if he’d told the truth and was being shamed for being punished by the prince? Well, only one way to find out. 

Hiccup made sure he had something to eat before he went to see Viggo, beginning to feel a little faint. It was quite often that he stole into the kitchens to steal treats, so the cooks weren’t surprised to see him. After eating, he headed out to the courtyard. 

There, he found the knights practicing with all sorts of weaponry. Some used bows on targets and dummies, others fought with axes and halberds, and still more used swords. 

Viggo was one of the swordsmen. Hiccup realized he’d never seen him without his armor before, never mind without a shirt, but this was how he was seeing him now. He moved gracefully despite his size, seemingly using his opponent’s own momentum against them. Viggo rammed his opponent with his shoulder, and he went down. Then the sword was pointed at his throat. Viggo had won. 

Hiccup’s presence seemed to draw his attention. Hiccup looked at him. Viggo’s chest was heaving, and sweat gleamed on his skin. There was a scar that ran across his left breast and towards his stomach. He was… big, Hiccup realized. Yes, he’d known that already, as the armor made him appear bigger, but even without that he was quite the size. His chest was broad and his waist was thick. Muscle rippled across his torso. His face was bruised and there was a scab on his lip. Hiccup almost winced. That had been from him. 

Hiccup approached Viggo and his sparring partner. Viggo seemed to forget his place for a moment, but then he lowered his sword and bowed. His sparring partner, who had just come up from the stone, bowed as well.

“Prince Hiccup, surprised to see you here,” Viggo said curtly. There was no emotion behind his eyes that Hiccup could discern. He was closing himself off from him because of the blow. 

“Just searching for you,” Hiccup said. “May I speak to you privately?”

“Only if you have a sword in your hand,” Viggo responded. 

Oh. Viggo was inviting him to spar. Hiccup hadn’t sparred with the knights before. Stoick usually kept Hiccup away from that, saying they were too advanced for him just yet. Hiccup figured he was good with a sword, but probably not nearly as good as someone much older than him like Viggo. But, still, he needed to talk to Viggo. He would do this. 

Hiccup unbuttoned his coat and left it on the cobbled stone floor of the courtyard, leaving himself only in a tight white shirt. He looked to Viggo’s sparring partner. 

“Sir, may I borrow your sword?”

“Yes, of course, Your Highness.” He offered up his sword to Hiccup with two hands, and Hiccup gripped the hilt. He stepped back and gave it a few swings to test the grip and the weight. Not built for him, but still not very bad. He could be using a worse sword. 

The other knight backed away so that he and Viggo could spar privately. Hiccup stepped forward, getting into a fighting stance. Viggo had been at this for many an hour. Maybe Hiccup could use his tiredness against him and he could win. But, then again, this man had been in battles, had _won_ battles. Hiccup had yet to see battle, and he hoped he never would. 

“What did you want to discuss with me?” Viggo asked, also dropping into a fighting stance. It looked like an easy stance on him. He wasn’t at all rusty like Stoick had believed he was. 

“I wanted to talk about last night.” Hiccup came in, made the first move, and Viggo’s sword struck his. They were using the flat of their blades, so as not to actually injure each other if they struck each other. 

“I thought the discussion from last night was finished,” Viggo said, easily countering Hiccup’s next move, their swords clanging together. 

“I… I wanted to… apologize,” Hiccup said. Thinking about it hadn’t made the words come out any easier. Hiccup wasn’t any good at apologizing to people, as it wasn’t something he did very frequently. 

“For what, Your Highness?” There was a smirk on Viggo’s lips. He knew perfectly well what Hiccup was apologizing for, but wanted to make him say it. 

“For striking you,” Hiccup said as smoothly as he could. He was no longer on the offensive. Viggo was moving his sword faster now, and Hiccup had been backed up a few feet, trying his best to counter his flurry of moves. 

Suddenly, Viggo’s sword slapped against Hiccup’s ribs. Hiccup jolted and cried out, dropping back to hold onto the spot Viggo had hit. There had been a good amount of strength behind the blow. When he looked up, Viggo was just smirking at him.

“Does that make up for it?” Hiccup asked, panting.

“Not quite yet.” Then Viggo lunged forward, and Hiccup had to quickly get back into a fighting stance. He swung his sword up to meet Viggo’s. They were close to each other now, face-to-face, staring across their swords. 

“So you’re angry with me,” Hiccup said breathlessly. “I understand.” He was angry with himself as well. He wasn’t going to tell Viggo that though. He didn’t want him to pity him or see him as weak. 

Viggo didn’t answer, just let out a wordless growl, spun, and swung his sword again. Hiccup barely countered the move, the force from it jarring up his arms and all the way into his shoulders and back. He was going to be sore from this later. He was sweating, the liquid making his shirt stick to him. 

Their sparring continued wordlessly. Hiccup couldn’t get in any hits on Viggo, but he got in many on him; he’d be bruised later. They danced across the courtyard, breathing hard, focusing all their energy on the fight. Viggo’s body looked almost beautiful as it moved like this. Some knights had stopped to watch them, and Hiccup grew more and more embarrassed with each hit he took. He didn’t want to look incompetent in front of his own subjects. It made Hiccup angrier as he fought. If Viggo was angry with him, then he would be angry with Viggo. It added more energy to his movements, but made him more reckless as well. He got in close, thinking he was about to win…

But then Viggo pulled that same move he had on his other sparring partner. He rammed him hard with his shoulder, and Hiccup went down to the ground with a grunt. He made to get up, but then the tip of Viggo’s sword was at his throat. 

“Was there anything else you wanted to say, Your Highness?” Viggo asked, looking smug and pleased with himself. 

Viggo moved his sword away, and Hiccup got up onto his arms. “So you didn’t quit?” he asked, out of breath and hurting.

“No,” Viggo answered. He sheathed his sword, then held out his hand to help Hiccup up. “I didn’t quit.”

Hiccup looked at his hand, then took it, let himself be pulled up to his foot and his prosthetic. “Feeling better now?” he asked.

Viggo laughed lightly. “Much better.”

Hiccup looked around at the knights that were now getting back to their training. “And you didn’t… tell anyone about what we talked about?” he asked quietly.

Viggo shook his head. “I would never.” He sounded genuinely truthful when he said it. “That was between you and me.”

Hiccup nodded. “Thank you, Sir Grimborn.” He wanted to say more to him, to speak with him frankly like he had the night before, but instead he just gave him a pat on the shoulder, (he’d never touched his naked shoulder before), and went to collect his coat. He just carried it with him instead of putting it on, feeling too hot from sparring in the heat like that. With a gesture to his current (and thankfully temporary bodyguard), he was leaving the courtyard. A bath was in order. 

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

The hot water eddied around him as he sat in the tub. It was a work of stone, cut into the floor where water could be piped in. Even after the heat of the day and sparring, the hot water felt good on sore muscles. Hiccup laid his head back and closed his eyes, letting himself relax in the tub. 

He thought over what had happened. Viggo hadn’t quit and had accepted his apology, but he’d wanted to get out his anger at being hit, so he’d sparred with him knowing that he would lose. Hiccup would have looked weak turning down a sparring partner. Turning down a sparring partner, as a prince, was worse than actually being beaten at sparring. 

Hiccup sighed, then looked down at himself through the water. He gingerly touched at a bruise on his ribs, hissed out a breath. Yes, that definitely hurt. Viggo hadn’t hit him lightly. 

_Well, guess I deserve it._

A knock at the door. 

Hiccup raised his eyebrows, turned to look at the door. Usually his guard would be in here with him, but Hiccup hadn’t wanted him to be, wasn’t used to this new one. Viggo always turned his back while Hiccup was bathing. 

“Yes?”

“Hiccup, it’s Astrid.” 

Oh, Astrid. Hiccup had forgotten about her for a little while, (as much as one _could_ forget about their betrothed.)

Hiccup climbed out of the tub and began drying himself off. He’d been done with his bath anyway. 

“Just give me a moment!”

Hiccup didn’t bother dressing, just wrapped a towel around himself and went to the door. Odd. Usually the guard would have announced Astrid. 

Hiccup opened the door a tad and looked to see Astrid. 

“Where’s my guard?” he asked her curiously.

“Oh, um, I had Ruff and Tuff get rid of him,” Astrid said, blushing. “He’s on some wild goose chase through the castle at the moment.”

Hiccup laughed. He was surprised he hadn’t heard that commotion, but, then again, he’d been very deep in thought. He opened the door and let Astrid in. Her blush deepened when she realized that he was only in a towel. Though, _she’d_ been the one to visit his bathing chamber. 

“So, you wanted the guard gone?” Hiccup asked. 

“Yes.”

“For…?”

“This.” Astrid took Hiccup by the back of the neck, pulled him close, and pressed her lips to his. Hiccup made a surprised “mmph!” noise, but then melted into the kiss like he knew he was supposed to. It’d been weeks since their first kiss; certainly they could take it a little further, as Astrid seemed to want to. And, the guard was gone, so they had all the privacy they needed. 

Astrid placed a hand on Hiccup’s chest, the other going to his waist. He hissed a little at the pain of her touch. 

“Oh, what happened?” Astrid asked, pulling away. She was now noticing the bruising on him: gray and blue splotches across his skin. 

“I had a sparring session with Viggo,” Hiccup answered. He didn’t see any reason why he couldn’t be honest. “He didn’t go very easy on me.”

“Who won?”

“You can’t guess?” 

Astrid laughed lightly. “Okay, okay, sorry. Was just giving you the benefit of the doubt. You’re not _that_ bad at sparring.”

“Yeah, but Viggo’s better. And older. He has more experience.” Hiccup remembered the scar he’d seen on his chest. He wondered where he’d gotten it. Enough thinking about Viggo though. He’d done plenty of that today and last night. Now, he was with Astrid. 

He took her hand and led her over to a couch. Then, he cupped her cheek in one hand and kissed her. She hummed a little, opening her mouth, and, guessing at what she wanted, Hiccup slipped his tongue inside. He’d never done any of this before, was a little clumsy at it, but Astrid didn’t seem to mind. No doubt she had little experience with this as well. 

Astrid put one hand on Hiccup’s thigh above the towel, and though the kisses didn’t do much to excite him, that did. He felt blood begin to rush downwards. He almost apologized, but, certainly this was what she’d come here for. If not, would she make it clear? Hiccup didn’t plan on making any of the first moves, would let her go at her own pace and do what felt good and natural for her. 

Astrid did indeed make a first move at something. She took one of Hiccup’s hands and placed it on her right breast. Hiccup’s face reddened a little, but he kept kissing her, exploring with his tongue. He took that as the invitation it was: to feel around a little. Her breast was round and firm and Hiccup liked the feel of it under his hand. 

Oh, thank the gods - he did like women. Hiccup had been starting to wonder if he didn’t, just because of the lack of feeling with Astrid’s kisses. But this was giving him feelings. _Lots_ of feelings. And good ones too. He was so relieved. He was supposed to feel good things from being with his fiancée. 

“Is this okay?” Astrid pulled away to ask.

“Yeah,” Hiccup panted. He kissed at her jaw. “Very much so.” 

“So you wouldn’t mind if I touched you in… other places?”

Hiccup laughed. “And what places did you have in mind?”

“Well…” Astrid’s eyes went downwards, between his legs. That’s what Hiccup had assumed she had meant, but he’d wanted to be sure. 

“And you’re sure about this?” Hiccup questioned. He didn’t want to rush her into anything. They weren’t even _supposed_ to be doing this. Usually they had a guard or a chaperone, but Astrid had made sure that his guard was busy to leave the two of them alone. She’d come here with her mind set on having him. 

Astrid kissed him briefly. “If you’re sure.”

Hiccup looked away, worried at his lower lip. “We’re not supposed to be doing this.”

“And here I thought _you_ were the rule breaker,” Astrid said, taking Hiccup’s cheek and turning his head back to her. 

“I am.” Hiccup blushed. “I guess I’m just nervous. No one’s ever…” touched him there before. 

“Would it make you feel better if I undressed a little?” Astrid asked. “So that we’re on more even ground?”

Hiccup nodded. That would certainly work. It would probably arouse him more too.

Astrid began undoing the top laces at the back of her dress, but after a few moments, she had to turn around and ask Hiccup for assistance. He’d only ever helped her lace it up before, not _un_ lace it. He found that his fingers were still as deft as ever though, despite the anxiety. 

Astrid’s dress came off and fell to a puddle of fabric on the floor. She turned back to Hiccup, now in just a corset and shift, neither doing a very good job at hiding anything. Curiously, Hiccup reached out a hand, put it on her breast, thumbed over a pink nipple that he could see through the white of the fabric.

Astrid hummed happily at his touch, leaning into it. “This better?” she asked, voice a near-whisper.

Hiccup smiled. “Much better.”

They came into a heated kiss, gently feeling over each other’s bodies, stalling when they got to more intimate places.

“Is this okay?” Astrid asked. The towel had been undone and her hand rested near his erect member. Hiccup was gasping. He’d never been this aroused before. He nodded, unable to find words.

Hiccup groaned as Astrid took his cock into her hand. Oh, that felt _good_. Hiccup didn’t know where to put his hands, but Astrid took one and guided it down between her own legs. 

“Will you feel anything with the shift on?” Hiccup asked curiously, now thinking of her pleasure. He didn’t think they were going to go all the way - he didn’t want to - but he wanted to make sure this was good for her too. 

“Yes,” Astrid breathed, directing his fingers. She moaned lowly as he pressed them against her mound. “Right there.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Hiccup cursed as Astrid began moving her hand along his cock. He tried to focus on what he was doing, felt around at her through the shift. The fabric was thin, and he could feel certain parts of her through it, could sense folds and what seemed to be a little nub of flesh. He’d never seen a woman undressed before, had no idea really what one looked like between the legs save for the fact that they had a place where his cock could go. This wasn’t quite what he’d imagined. But he pressed curiously on that nub, and it made Astrid whine and bite her lip. He felt wetness through the fabric.

“Right there, Hiccup,” she gasped out. 

Hiccup tossed his head back for a moment in pleasure, then focused in on Astrid again. Their lips came together in a show of heated passion, the both of them moaning against each other. 

Hiccup never came this early, but with all that was happening, his body seemed eager. He pulled out of the kiss to let out a shout as pleasure coursed through him and made him buck and curl his toes. It wasn’t the best orgasm he’d ever experienced, but in his mind, there really was no such thing as a bad orgasm. He came back to himself gasping for breath. Astrid was smiling at him, both their faces flushed.

And then suddenly the double doors opened.

The guard that had rushed in yelped at what he saw, flailed, turned his back. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were on either side of the door, looking in and giggling. 

“Told you she was going to get some of him,” Ruffnut said to Tuffnut.

“Guys, could you not look?” Hiccup asked, quickly covering himself with his towel.

The guard turned to face Hiccup as Hiccup stood. Astrid was rushing to grab her dress.

“ _You_ are going directly to your father,” the guard ordered. “And so is she.” He pointed at Astrid.

“ _She_ has a name, you know,” Hiccup said snidely. He wasn’t going to let anyone in the castle disrespect Astrid. “And fine. I’ll go to him.” He knew he was in huge trouble for what had just happened. But, oddly enough, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He’d had a good time with Astrid after worrying that he would never have one. It felt good - great, even. He hoped Astrid wasn’t too ashamed of the situation they’d been found in. She had to uphold her name and position as a lady. Hiccup didn’t have anything to uphold. The title of prince stayed no matter what he did. 

“Turn your backs while I dress.” Hiccup waved his hand, and everyone save for Astrid, who was stepping into her dress, did so. 

Hiccup cleaned up the mess from his orgasm, then put on a set of clean clothes. After, he helped Astrid lace up the back of her dress. Her skin was flushed.

“Do you regret it?” Hiccup asked her quietly. 

“No.”

Hiccup smiled. “Neither do I.”

  
  


Hiccup, Astrid, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut all stood in front of Stoick in the throne room. He had yet to say a word to any of them, was instead pacing. The guard had quietly informed him of what he’d walked in on, was now standing near the large double doors at the other end of the room. 

“Hiccup, _that_ was completely irresponsible,” Stoick said gruffly, turning to face them all. 

“How so?” Hiccup asked coolly, raising his eyebrows. “We didn’t, well, uh, _have_ sex.”

Stoick sighed tiredly. He apparently wasn’t in the mood to deal with him. “But you came close.”

“We weren’t going to.”

“But you’re not supposed to!” Stoick yelled. “And it’s bad enough that you got these three into trouble as well! You best hope that no word of this gets around.”

Astrid stepped forward. “My liege, it was my fault,” she said. “I directed Ruff and Tuff to lead the guard away, and I started everything with Hiccup.”

Stoick stopped and stared at Astrid, blinked in surprise. “Astrid? You…?” He sighed again, rubbed a hand over his face. “Go home,” he told her. “It is not my place to discipline you.”

Astrid bowed, then turned and left the room. 

“You as well,” Stoick said to the twins. They didn’t bow, forgetting the formality, and chased each other out, laughing. This was clearly of no consequence to them. 

Now that Stoick was alone with Hiccup, he started pacing again.

“Hiccup, why would you…? You know you’re not supposed to.” 

“Astrid wanted to,” Hiccup said. “I… thought I would indulge her.”

Stoick stopped pacing. “Hiccup, I know she is to be your wife soon, but that doesn’t mean you can give in to her every whim.”

Hiccup ground his teeth together. Not the wife subject. Stoick had said yes to this marriage being arranged without questioning Hiccup on the matter. He felt like a puppet, to be used as his father saw fit.

“What if…?” he started, but stopped, now afraid of admitting what he was feeling.

“What if what?” Stoick questioned.

“What if… I don’t want to get married to her?” Hiccup asked. 

“ _What?_ ” 

“I don’t know!” Hiccup cried, not liking his father’s tone. “It just doesn’t feel right!”

“It doesn’t _have_ to feel right,” Stoick said. “It just has to _be_ right. We need her clan, Hiccup.”

“I know that!” Hiccup suddenly snapped. “But you never even asked me! You never took any of my feelings into consideration!”

“That’s because I don’t have to.” Stoick was surprisingly cool in the face of Hiccup’s anger. “I have to take the kingdom into consideration.”

“Yeah, well, what about when you married mom?” Hiccup asked.

“That was arranged too,” Stoick said.

Hiccup took a step back. He’d never known that before. He’d always thought that his parents had married for love, that they had genuinely liked each other before becoming married. 

“What?”

“Yes,” Stoick said. “But we came to love each other over time. It could be the same with you and Astrid.” He waved his hand. “Besides, why have sexual relations with her if you don’t want to marry her?”

“Because…” Hiccup didn’t know how to answer. Silence dragged on before he spoke again. “It was a test.”

“Oh? A test of what?”

Hiccup’s face flushed and he looked down at his feet. “To see if I really liked women. I.. was afraid that I didn’t.”

“Oh.” Stoick didn’t seem to know what to say. He sat down in his throne. “Do you like men then?”

“I don’t know,” Hiccup said with a shake of his head. He felt silly discussing this with his father, the king. “But every time I kiss her, I don’t feel anything special. And I thought I was supposed to. I thought I was supposed to like it.”

“Did you… enjoy this afternoon?”

Hiccup scratched at the back of his neck, still looking at his feet. He traced one of the patterns on the floor with his toes. “Yeah,” he answered, feeling embarrassed now. He’d just bared himself to his father in a way he really hadn’t before. Sex and sexuality weren’t things the two of them talked about. 

Stoick breathed out heavily through his nose. “You still have to marry her.”

Hiccup felt tears of frustration in his eyes. “Fine. But I don’t have to like it.”

“I never asked you to.”

Without another word, Hiccup bowed stiffly, then left the room, his guard following behind him. Gods, how he wished it was Viggo. Would he have been more embarrassed had it been Viggo that had walked in on that? Yes, probably, but at least he would understand. This guard only cared for his duties. He didn’t care for him the way Viggo did. 

And, he was thinking about him again. Always thinking about two things: the upcoming marriage, and Viggo. He just hoped he would be there tomorrow. And that his current guard wasn’t one to go spreading rumors. 

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Posting two chapters in the same day? Yeah.

Hiccup almost spoke to Viggo the next morning of his own accord. _Almost._ He was thinking over the conversation he’d had with his father, and he wanted to ask Viggo another question, but gods, it would be silly. Yes, Viggo said that he didn’t share any of what Hiccup discussed with him… but did he judge him for it? 

Instead of speaking to Viggo, Hiccup just went quietly to his lessons. He wondered if he’d been informed of what had happened between him and Astrid. Probably so. He’d need to know that information to make sure it didn’t happen again. Hiccup definitely wondered how that conversation had gone.

The question irked at him as the day drew on. After his lessons, he went out into the gardens to spend time with his friends. Snotlout, crass as ever, started out the conversation.

“So, I heard you and Astrid got some yesterday.”

Astrid blushed, though it had been her idea. “Snotlout, we didn’t go all the way.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Tuffnut said. He leaned over to Snotlout like he was going to whisper, but said loud enough for everyone to hear: “Hiccup came.”

It was Hiccup’s turn to blush. There was no point denying it, as Tuffnut had seen that, and probably heard the sound he’d made. He begin plucking at the grass like it was suddenly very interesting. 

“Hiccup!” Fishlegs sounded aghast. “You two aren’t supposed to… you know!” He gestured with his hands instead of using words. Fishlegs was hardly as crude as Hiccup’s other friends. 

“Well, it wasn’t my idea.”

“You did go along with it,” Astrid said.

“I did,” Hiccup agreed. 

“Did you… want it?” Astrid asked. 

Hiccup nodded, gave her a peck on the cheek that the twins and Snotlout laughed at. “It’s fine,” he told her. “It’s all fine.”

“What’s your dad doing to punish you?” Fishlegs asked. 

“Nothing, actually,” Hiccup answered. “Though I won’t be surprised if my lessons suddenly get longer.” 

“What’d you guys talk about after we left?” Ruffnut asked. She was sticking a bread roll down the front of her dress.

“Ruffnut, what the Hel are you doing?” Hiccup asked.

“What? I like the castle’s bread better than my mom’s.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes. “My dad just kept scolding me,” Hiccup said. That wasn’t exactly a lie. He wasn’t going to tell them that he’d talked about sexuality, not with Astrid around. He didn’t want her doubting his feelings for her, wanted her to continue thinking they were romantic and genuine. He liked Astrid, but, as a friend. Maybe he could do what his father had done with his mother: learn to love her as time went on. He tried not to sigh, thinking about that. He couldn’t let on to his thoughts. 

Hiccup wished he could just tell them his thoughts. They _were_ his friends after all, but then Astrid would doubt their marriage, and Hiccup didn’t want that happening. And if Snotlout found out that Hiccup didn’t want to marry her… well, his flirting would grow much worse. 

Hiccup was alone that evening. Alone save for Viggo. He pet Toothless absentmindedly, his question begging to be released.

“Viggo, can I speak frankly with you?” Hiccup asked. 

A wry smile curled up Viggo’s mouth. “As long as you don’t hit me this time.” The bruise from Hiccup’s blow was already fading, and he had a scab on his lip. 

“You don’t… find me silly, do you?” Hiccup asked. That wasn’t the question that he’d wanted to ask all day, but he’d had to start with that one. 

“Well, of course not. I-”

“Be honest with me, Viggo.” Hiccup narrowed his eyes. He could tell that he was lying.

“Um…” Viggo didn’t seem to know what to say. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “But it’s not about the conversations we have,” he followed up. “It’s in the way you spend your time, causing trouble and all that.”

“So, what _do_ you think about the conversations we have?” Hiccup stood from the couch, took a step closer to Viggo. 

“I think you’re young,” Viggo answered. “And that you have much to learn.” 

Hiccup nodded. That was true alright. He still had a lot to learn, and a lot to figure out about himself, it seemed. His father had asked him if he liked men, and, well, Hiccup didn’t know. 

Now, the question that had been pestering his mind all day: “Do you like men, Viggo?”

“Excuse me?”

“Sexually, romantically. Do you like men?” Hiccup tried not to sound nervous about asking, tried to be confident. 

“Why are you asking me such a personal question?” Viggo asked. 

“I’m… trying to figure myself out.” Hiccup went and sat back down, and Toothless hopped into his lap. He tapped Hiccup on the shoulder when Hiccup didn’t look at him, so Hiccup directed his attention to Toothless, gave him a headbutt and a brush of noses. “And I thought talking to someone would help.”

“Why don’t you talk to your friends about it?”

“I would, but Astrid’s always around when they are,” Hiccup said. “And I don’t want her doubting our marriage.” 

A moment of tension-filled silence. 

“I do,” Viggo finally answered. “I do like men sexually and romantically.” 

“Ever been with one?”

Viggo gestured to the couch. “May I sit beside you?”

Hiccup nodded. He’d never had Viggo sit next to him before, but why couldn’t he let him sit with him when they were having such a personal conversation? 

Viggo came and sat. Toothless looked at him, tapped him on the arm, and Viggo sighed and pet the cat on the head. It made Hiccup smile. Maybe Viggo was coming to like him. 

“I have been with men,” Viggo answered. “More so than women, actually.”

“Was there… backlash?” Hiccup asked.

Viggo shook his head. “Outside of the castle, it’s perfectly normal. You’re just being forced into a relationship with a woman because you must produce heirs. You would face judgment for it, sadly.”

Hiccup pursed his lips together, frowned. “Yeah, yeah I would.” That hurt, knowing that if he did like men, he wouldn’t be allowed to, that he had to pretend to like women and only women. 

“Do _you_ like men?” Viggo asked of Hiccup.

Hiccup almost snapped that it was none of his business, but, then again, he’d been the one to bring up this conversation. 

Hiccup shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I never really considered it all that much. I was only presented with women as the only option for me.”

“That’s fair,” Viggo said. He patted him on the knee, and Hiccup looked down at his large hand. “Think on it.”

“And then do what?”

It was Viggo’s turn to shrug. “That’s up for you to decide.”

  
  


_Hiccup had never kissed this passionately before. It was hotter than it had ever been with Astrid. He climbed into his partner’s lap, wrapping his arms around their waist. He couldn’t discern who he was kissing, not their face, not their body, but it was good. It was really, really good._

_Blood rushed downwards, and Hiccup groaned into the kiss. His partner ran a hand along his spine, and Hiccup shivered at it. The hand was large, a man’s._

_He pulled away to look at his partner, to see their face, and Viggo was staring back at him._

_“Do you think I’m silly?” Hiccup asked Viggo._

_“Yes,” Viggo answered. He poked him on the nose. “But I like it.”_

_“Do you find_ this _silly?”_

_“You mean us?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“You’re supposed to be married to Astrid.”_

_“What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her,” Hiccup said. He leaned in to kiss Viggo again._

  
  


Hiccup woke with a gasp, eyes flying open. He looked around his room, found that he was alone save for Toothless. That was good. He was afraid that maybe he’d been talking in his sleep and someone had heard him.

“What was _that_ about?” Hiccup asked the darkness. Maybe it was because the last conversation he’d had before he’d gone to bed had been about liking men? And he’d had it with Viggo, so his mind had put him in the place of a male partner. 

But it wasn’t _right._ Viggo was correct when he said that Hiccup would be judged for it. And now, more than ever, Hiccup just wanted to be some commoner, some commoner that could love who he wanted and marry who he wanted. 

Hiccup got out of bed, began pacing. He had a semi-erection from the dream, but he could ignore that. He ran his hands through his hair, put his head in his hands. 

_Stop talking to the bodyguard. Marry Astrid. Do what you’re supposed to. Be a good prince._

Why were those things so difficult? Why did everything in Hiccup rebel against those simple concepts? 

Hiccup knew who he could talk to. He looked out the windows. Dawn was creeping into the gray of the sky. His friend probably wouldn’t be awake yet, but that didn’t matter. Hiccup had to talk to Fishlegs. 

Hiccup dressed and threw on a cloak so that he could pull up the hood and hide himself. Well, as best as one could hide themselves with a guard following them everywhere. Though, Hiccup could just lose the guard, couldn’t he? It wouldn’t be Viggo just yet. Viggo’s shift started just after dawn. 

Hiccup left his bedchamber and began to leave his rooms without even looking at the guard. Maybe if he disregarded him, he wouldn’t follow. He admitted he didn’t know his night guard as well as Viggo, but that was because he was always asleep when he was around.

“Where are you going?” he asked. 

“Into town,” Hiccup responded. “I need to talk to someone.” 

Hiccup left his rooms, the guard following dutifully behind him with no questions. Viggo would have asked him questions for sure, and told him it was too early to visit anyone. 

Hiccup readied himself as they neared the door to one of the servant passages. Then, very quickly, he bolted through it, took off at a run through the passage, making sure to take twists and turns so that his guard couldn’t follow him. After a good five minutes of this, he stopped to listen, the pounding of his excited heart making it rather hard. But, he didn’t hear anything that could be a guard. No clanks of metal or heavy footsteps. Just hushed whispers of servants and light footsteps. Hiccup had lost him. 

_Thank the gods._ He needed to talk to Fishlegs _alone_ , and Hiccup could almost never get time alone. It was only really when he slept and when he ditched his guards. 

Hiccup knew there was a way out of the castle through the servant passages. He could use that so no guards would see him and question him about the lack of a bodyguard, or about where he was going so early. 

Hiccup got lost a few times, bumped into some servants that would never tell anyone he’d been there, thanks to a few coins slipped their way, but finally found his way out. He came out beyond the castle wall, near the bank of the river. The sun had partially risen now, painting the sky pink and red. Viggo would be reporting to duty and find that Hiccup was gone, if the other guard hadn’t woken him yet. 

Hiccup turned towards town. He knew where Fishlegs’ abode was by heart, didn’t need a map or directions to get there. Upon reaching the mansion, blue now piercing the sky, he knocked on the great oak door. 

It took a moment or two, but the head servant, Amaya answered. Hiccup lowered his hood to show who he was, and Amaya let him in without a word. 

“Fishlegs is still sleeping,” she told him as she closed the door behind him. “Would you like me to wake him?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

Hiccup went and sat in the main living room of the mansion. There were sounds of the house awakening, servants doing their jobs, cooking and cleaning and such. He hoped that no one would disturb him and Fishlegs as they spoke. Though, he knew from some sources that Lord and Lady Ingerman were not always early risers. 

In a few minutes, Fishlegs was entering the room, drawing a comb through his fine blond hair. He was dressed immaculately, as the child of a lord should. He wore finer clothes than Hiccup at the moment. 

“Hiccup, what brings you here so early?” Fishlegs paused to look in a mirror on the wall. Then, he set his comb down on the mantle, leaned against it and crossed his arms. As it was summer, there was no fire going. 

“I need to talk with you,” Hiccup said. 

“Is it urgent?”

Hiccup shrugged. “Not something I can talk about with Astrid around.”

“Oh.” Fishlegs came and sat beside him. “What is it?”

“I… I think I like men,” Hiccup said. “As, well, more than friends. Romantically, I mean.” 

Fishlegs didn’t act shocked or surprised. He just nodded. 

“You’re not surprised?”

“Hiccup, I don’t think you realize how often you flirt with me,” Fishlegs said.

Hiccup blushed. “What?”

“It’s an accident.” 

“Oh, I figured.” Fishlegs chuckled. “It’s alright. Honest.”

“But I can’t tell Astrid,” Hiccup said. “And you can’t tell _anyone_. I’d be judged for it because I need to marry and produce heirs.”

Fishlegs nodded sagely. “So, you’re stuck with these feelings and unsure of what to do with them.”

It wasn’t a question, but: “Yeah.”

“I mean, after the marriage, you could ask Astrid if it’s okay if you take separate lovers.”

“But she thinks I love _her_ ,” Hiccup argued. “Especially after what happened the other day.”

Fishlegs clenched his jaw, looked down. “Oh.”

“Yeah. I’m stuck.”

“And you just had to tell someone?”

Hiccup nodded. He placed a hand on Fishlegs’ knee, feeling a little awkward about the gesture now that it had been brought to light that he flirted with him on occasion. He felt like it would be wrong if he didn’t do it though. It was normal for him and Fishlegs to touch each other affectionately. “Thank you, Fishlegs.”

Fishlegs just nodded and smiled. 

“I… had this dream,” Hiccup said after a moment of silence, letting his hand slip away from Fishlegs. “It was strange.”

“What was it about?”

“Um… Viggo.”

“ _Viggo?_ ” Fishlegs questioned incredulously. “You mean your bodyguard?”

“Yeah.”

“What, uh, happened in the dream?”

Hiccup looked away, face heating. “We were kissing.”

“Why would you dream about kissing Viggo?”

“I don’t know,” Hiccup said. He picked at the fabric of his pants. “Maybe because I was talking to him about all this before I went to sleep.”

“Oh my gods, I had no idea you were so personal with your bodyguards.”

Hiccup snorted. “It wasn’t always like this.” He looked at Fishlegs again. “But Viggo’s different. There’s something about him…” He couldn’t place what it was though, what he liked. 

“Do you like him?”

“Well, yeah, I mean-”

“Romantically.”

“No!” Hiccup was quick to retort. He swiftly stood, aghast that Fishlegs had suggested such a thing. “No, of course not! He’s… he’s a man. And he’s too old for me. He’s probably already with someone.” 

Fishlegs shook his head with a smile. “Alright, Hiccup. I won’t press on it.”

“Thank you.”

Hiccup looked out the window. The sky was a powdery blue color. 

“I should go,” he said. “The guards will be in an uproar and my dad was probably told that I’m missing.”

“Do you want me to come?” Fishlegs asked. “I can cover for you.”

“Nah. I’ll be fine.” He gave Fishlegs a grateful nod. “Thank you, again, Fishlegs.”

“No problem.”

Then Hiccup was leaving the mansion and going out into the street. He decided not to take main roads back to the castle, and would go back through the servants’ passages so as not to announce himself at the gate. 

Upon entering an alleyway, Hiccup was suddenly struck from behind. He went down with a groan, head pounding. He made to get up, but then there was a weight on him.

“Don’t move and I’ll let you live,” a man’s voice said into his ear.

Though dazed, Hiccup found the strength to roll and push the man off of him. He came up onto his foot and prosthetic, found that the man was spindly and thin, all dressed in black, long hair unkempt. 

“Do you _know_ who I am?” Hiccup asked.

The man eyed his prosthetic. “Well, now I do.” He lunged at him, and Hiccup saw the flash of a blade. He jumped out of the way, grabbed the man around the neck. The man pushed back at him, shoved him into the wall. Then they went down on the dirt floor of the alley together, wrestling one another. Hiccup gave a restrained shout as he was punched in the ribs, right in a spot Viggo had hit him the other day. The place was tender, so it didn’t take much for Hiccup to hear a crack. He gasped for breath through the pain, tears springing unbidden to his eyes. 

“They’ll hang you for this,” Hiccup choked out.

“Not if I get away,” his attacker panted. He cut his coin purse off from his belt, and then was taking off down the alley. Hiccup got up and tried to follow, but his ribs cried out in protest. He sat back against the wall of the alley, a hand to his abdomen. 

“Dad’s going to kill me,” Hiccup declared, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. 

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)


	8. Chapter 8

Viggo was awoken early in the morning by a knock on his door. He let out a frustrated groan, but rolled over and sat up anyway. His muscles were still a little sore from the training the day before last. He hadn’t been slacking on things as Stoick had suspected he had, but it had been a long time since he’d kept it up all day like that.

The knock came again, urgently.

“Coming!” Viggo called. Not bothering to put on a shirt, he hurriedly went to the front door of his quarters.

“What is it?” he asked of the guard standing there and looking anxious. It was Hiccup’s night guard, Bjorn.

“I lost him,” he said quite quickly.

“Hiccup?” Viggo asked. 

“Yes.” Bjorn sheepishly cast his eyes downwards.

“Give me a moment.” Viggo wouldn’t bother putting his armor on, but he did bother with getting dressed and strapping on his sword. He came back to the door. “Alright, when and where did you lose him?”

“About half an hour ago,” Bjorn answered. “In the servant passages.”

Viggo sighed. That was Hiccup’s favorite place to escape through. Viggo hadn’t explored it himself all that much though, finding that it twisted and turned too much. It made sense that Bjorn had come to get him though. Viggo was used to Hiccup’s escape attempts, whereas he was not. 

Viggo began striding out of his apartments and Bjorn hurried on his slightly shorter legs to keep up.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“To find a servant,” Viggo answered. “The passages must come out of the castle somewhere, or Hiccup must have been seen. He probably went into the town.”

“Well, he did say he was going into town and that he needed to talk to someone.”

“Did he mention who?”

“No.”

“Dammit.” Viggo knew the locations of the mansions of Hiccup’s friends, but it would take too much time to search them all, and Hiccup wasn’t bound to be in any danger, so there was no reason to rouse the rest of the knights and get them looking either. The best they could do was find the way out of the servants’ passages. Hiccup would eventually come back, and probably through the same way he had left. 

Together, Viggo and Bjorn located a servant and got her to lead the way through the passages. Viggo was glad they had her as a guide, or he would have gotten hopelessly lost in here. Once they were outside of the castle and the servant was on her way, Viggo leaned against the wall.

“Now what?” Bjorn asked.

“Now we wait.” 

  
  


Hiccup startled when he rounded a side of the castle and found Viggo and his night guard waiting for him outside the servants’ passages. For the moment, they hadn’t noticed him, and he didn’t know what to do. Admit his defeat and go to them? Go in some other way? But this was the only secret way he knew of. 

Viggo noticed him first, stood up straighter as Hiccup began trudging over.

“Your Highness, what sort of mess did you get yourself into this time?” Viggo asked, sounding none too amused. It was likely the night guard had had to rouse him earlier than usual. He’d most likely noticed the dirt on his clothes and the way he was holding his right side. 

“I got mugged,” Hiccup said unhappily.

Viggo looked like he wanted to draw his sword. “By whom?”

Hiccup shrugged, scratched the back of his head. “Don’t know. I could give a description of him though.”

Viggo sighed, walked over, and put a hand on Hiccup’s back, guiding him back to the door of the passageway. “Your Highness, how many times have I told you that you’ll get into trouble without me or someone else with you?”

“A million,” Hiccup said sullenly. His night guard shot him a glare, and Hiccup didn’t have the spirit in him to glare back. Certainly now Viggo was going to escort him to his father, and then even more people would be angry with him. 

  
  


It was the second time in 48 hours that Hiccup stood sheepishly before Stoick. This time, Viggo and Bjorn were with him, one on either side of him. 

Stoick rubbed a hand over his face. He’d been in his study when Viggo had called for entry, announcing Hiccup. 

“What happened now?” His son was covered in dirt stains and was holding his side as if he’d been injured. 

“He ran off on me,” Bjorn accused, shooting Hiccup a glare, to which Hiccup just sighed. “And then he went and got himself mugged.”

“Hey! That bit wasn’t my fault!” Hiccup snapped.

“Well, if you’d had one of us with you-”

“Everyone, quiet!” Stoick snapped. He pinched at the bridge of his nose. “Hiccup, is this true?”

Hiccup looked down at his feet. “Yes,” he said very quietly. 

Stoick wanted to be angry, but he could also see that Hiccup was hurt, and that was his first priority. He stepped over to him, gently put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re hurt.”

Hiccup shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

And, that’s how Stoick knew the injury was worse than Hiccup was letting on. He was never good at hiding that kind of thing from him, not ever since he’d lost his leg. 

“Viggo, get him to the healer,” Stoick ordered. “We can get a description of the person who mugged you later.”

“You’re not… mad at me?” Hiccup’s voice was almost a squeak.

Was that all Hiccup expected of him? Ever? Just anger? Well, he had been showing a lot as of late - it was stress, but he didn’t let on to Hiccup that that was the case. He was worried about him now more than ever, and afraid to tell him why. 

“I’m not. I just… I’m frustrated, Hiccup. Promise me you won’t run off again.”

Hiccup looked away from him.

Stoick took him by both shoulders. “You have to  _ promise  _ me.”

Hiccup met his gaze, saw the seriousness in his eyes, heard it in his voice. 

“Y-yeah. I promise.”

“Good. We’ll talk more at dinner.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes.” Stoick didn’t add further explanation. It had been too long since he’d dined with his son. He’d just been spending that time with his generals and advisors. It was clear Hiccup needed someone, or something, in his life that he was lacking, so Stoick would do his best to step in.

Stoick gave Viggo a nod as he escorted him out. The man was good at his job. He would make sure his son was kept safe. At least, as safe as one could be while being as reckless as Hiccup. Knowing for sure that Hiccup was with Viggo, Stoick could go about his day with one less worry over his head. 

  
  


Hiccup didn’t want to admit it, but he needed help taking his shirt off when the healer asked to see his wound. He tried on his own, grunted in pain, then let the fabric fall back down. Instead of blushing or acting any sort of embarrassed, he just said: “Viggo, could you please help me with this?”

And Viggo didn’t act any sort of embarrassed either, though he’d certainly never helped Hiccup undress before. “Of course, Your Highness.” He stepped over to the table Hiccup was sitting on, and helped Hiccup to remove his shirt. 

Viggo gasped a little as he saw the wound. It was black and blue bruising mottling his left side beneath his breast. Hiccup looked down at it with a frown.

“Might be a broken rib,” the healer said. She bent to take a look at, touched it carefully with one hand. Hiccup jumped at her touch and winced. 

“Sorry, Your Highness. I have to feel around a bit more to make sure.”

“O-okay.”

Hiccup looked at the wall as she did this, not liking showing pain in front of Viggo. He was upset at the fact that he’d been attacked and robbed, but glad that his father seemed to be more concerned for his well being than angry. Stoick had never acted so serious about him running away from his guards before. There had been something in his eyes that Hiccup knew to listen to, something deeper than what he was letting on.

The healer declared that Hiccup did indeed have a broken rib and tightly bandaged it, saying that he needed to rest. There was no danger of it puncturing any organs, so he’d been instructed to take deep breaths to stave off pneumonia. 

Hiccup needed help getting his shirt back on, something that Viggo helped him with. He met his gaze once it was done, saw a bit of affection and tenderness in the older man’s eyes. What was that? Only recently had Viggo been showing affection towards him. Maybe Hiccup had won him over, despite his shenanigans.

Only once Hiccup was escorted back to his apartments and in bed did he give Viggo and another knight a description of the man who had attacked him. Hiccup had said he’d be hanged for such a crime, and he was sure he would, but, he found he didn’t want him to be. It was just a broken rib and some money that would probably go to filling a poor man’s stomach. 

“Don’t kill him if you find him,” Hiccup ordered of the other knight. “Tell all your knights: I want him brought back alive.”

The knight bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.” He then left the room.

Toothless hopped up on the bed with a trilling sound, rubbed his head against Hiccup’s. Hiccup smiled, lifted a hand to pet him. 

“Are you going to take care of me, Toothless?”

The cat meowed in response, and Hiccup’s smile deepened. He truly loved his cat.

“Your Highness, may I ask who you went to see this morning?” Viggo asked. He was standing stiffly, back to Hiccup’s wardrobe. 

“You can sit down, you know,” Hiccup said, gesturing to a chair near the bed. 

Viggo blinked a little in surprise, then nodded and took a seat.

“I went to see Fishlegs,” Hiccup said. 

“What was so urgent that you had to go so early and ditch your guard?”

“Um…” Hiccup certainly wasn’t going to tell Viggo about the dream he’d had. He could be a little honest about things though. “It was about what we talked about last night. I needed a friend’s input.”

“And your conclusion?” Viggo raised an eyebrow.

Hiccup didn’t know why he was being so personal with this man, but he answered: “I’m pretty sure I like men as well as women.”

Viggo nodded. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“No? But I thought you said I would be judged for it.”

“Judged wrongly. There is nothing wrong with one’s attraction to the same sex.” 

It was Hiccup’s turn to nod. There was some silence where Hiccup stared at the ceiling and pet Toothless. He figured he would get bored of being in bed rather quickly.

“Do you dream, Viggo?”

“Naturally, Your Highness.”

“And what do you dream about?”

“Past partners,” Viggo answered. “But there’s something else there too, something just out of reach. It’s like I can almost grasp it, but when I do, it slips away.”

Hiccup had the same feeling in his dreams, that he was reaching for something he couldn’t see, something that he sorely needed. 

Speaking of dreams, he was feeling tired. He rolled onto his uninjured side, back to Viggo, and closed his eyes. He felt safe with him there. He just hoped he wouldn’t have anymore dreams about him while he was present.

  
  


Viggo had never seen the prince sleep before. He of course knew that he did, but sleeping during the day was very unlike Hiccup. Viggo had to silently keep watch over him as he did this. He could tell when he fell into sleep, his shoulders relaxing and his breathing becoming more even. Toothless snored beside him. 

_ Why did he ask me about my dreams?  _ Viggo wondered. It seemed that with each passing day, the prince was growing more fond of him, and their relationship was becoming more personal. Viggo thought of his dreams that he hadn’t told Hiccup about, and of what Frida had said. 

Oh gods, what if he  _ was  _ in love with the prince? What if his concern for him was more than just the concern of a loyal bodyguard? What if it was something more, and that’s what he was trying to grasp in his sleep?

Viggo stood to begin pacing, but then realized that that would probably wake Hiccup, and sat back down. The prince needed his rest after such a morning. He was upset that he’d been hurt, upset at the wound he had seen. Viggo had noticed faded bruising on other parts of him, recognized it to be in the places from the sparring. Perhaps he had gone too hard on him, but he’d just wanted to let out his anger, show the prince what he was truly capable of. Yes, he had to stand there and take a blow from those above him in station, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t retaliate in some way.

Hiccup rolled into his stomach, his face now towards Viggo. He looked… beautiful in sleep, unmarred by the world around him. His hair was tousled and his features relaxed. It was a rare show of sincerity. Viggo realized how intimate it was that he got to guard Hiccup in his room while he slept. He knew the night guard stayed outside, but Hiccup hadn’t directed him to leave.

Now, Viggo was thinking of something else: of the danger Stoick had warned him of. No one had told Hiccup yet, not wanting to worry him about something that might not even come to pass. He was young and didn’t know all the workings of the kingdom and those neighboring it just yet. But he would learn. 

And hopefully not the hard way.

  
  


“How are you feeling?” Stoick asked of Hiccup as he sat down at the table. 

Hiccup sighed, rubbed at his injury a little. “I have a broken rib,” he admitted.

“Well, the knights are searching for your assailant as we speak.” Stoick began piling food onto his plate, and though Hiccup wasn’t very hungry due to the pain, he began doing the same. 

“I want him alive,” Hiccup said. He hadn’t told his father that yet. “Alright?”

“How come? The crime isn’t very heinous, but against you, it deserves hanging,” Stoick said.

Hiccup shrugged. “Maybe… maybe he was just hungry, or thirsty, or needed a bed to sleep in for a few nights.”

“So you’re okay with him attacking you?”

Hiccup began eating to avoid the question for a moment. “No,” he answered once he swallowed some chicken. “I’m just wondering if something could have been done to prevent it.”

Stoick nodded. “Thinking like a king. You’re wondering if there’s something we can do to help the poor in our kingdom.”

“Exactly.”

So, as dinner went on, Stoick and Hiccup began discussing charity projects that they could start, how they could give extra food and coin away, or even bed some of the poor in the castle. There was plenty of room and resources for all of this. Hiccup didn’t want to see poor, hungry people in his kingdom. No one deserved that.

Over dessert, the topic changed. Hiccup almost choked on his chocolate cake when Stoick spoke.

“I want Viggo guarding you full time,” he said.

Hiccup swallowed, coughed, took a drink. “Why?” he asked hoarsely. 

“Because I feel that it’s needed,” his father answered. “You have a spare bedroom or two, yes?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, Viggo will need to sleep somewhere while guarding you,” Stoick said. “He’ll be closer if anything happens.”

“You want him to  _ move in with me? _ ” Hiccup asked incredulously.

“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

“No, I just… No, not at all.” Yes, yes there was a problem with that. Hiccup was afraid that he’d have more dreams like the one he’d encountered the night before, and in Viggo’s presence no less. What if… what if there was something growing inside of him, something that he couldn’t control? What even were his feelings towards Viggo? 

“Why?” Hiccup said. “What’s wrong with my night guard?”

“Bjorn?” Stoick asked. “He nearly lost his job for losing you today.”

“But, dad, that was my fault.”

“He still should have been able to stop you, to protect you.”

“So you trust Viggo more,” Hiccup realized.

“Yes, I do.”

“But why the sudden change?” Hiccup asked. He gave Stoick a serious look. He felt like things were being kept from him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Stoick responded smoothly. “I just thought you could use a little extra security. You  _ are _ my only heir.”

Hiccup thought for a moment, sucked in his lower lip, then nodded. Yes, certain information was definitely being kept from him, but he was not going to be able to get it out of his father. He would just have to go along with his plans.

“Alright,” Hiccup said. “Let’s have Viggo move in with me.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take a look back at some of the previous chapters to see the new art!

Viggo stopped in his tidying of his new, (hopefully temporary), bedchamber when he sensed eyes on him. He straightened and turned, found Hiccup standing in the open doorway. 

“Your Highness, shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“Was just… coming to check in on you.”

“I’m fine.” Viggo said the words much too curtly. He didn’t know what Hiccup wanted for him. He hated to admit it, but sometimes his presence made him nervous. It was because of the dreams, because of what Frida had said. He’d only had two such dreams about Hiccup so far, but the second one had been much more obvious about who it was than the first. 

“And you know, you can just call me Hiccup.” There was a wry smile on his lips.

“Your Highness-”

“If we’ll be living together it makes sense to have that familiarity,” Hiccup cut him off. “No ‘Your Highness’, anymore.”

Viggo just gave a nod, unsure of what to say.

Hiccup’s eye caught something on the nightstand. He brushed past Viggo and went to it, picked it up.

“Why do you still have this?”

Viggo had brought the now-dried purple flower from his own rooms. He didn’t exactly know why. It was like he’d attached sentiment to it and wanted to have it with him. 

Viggo didn’t say anything for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.

“This is the same flower I gave you, right?”

“Yes.” Viggo turned and took it from Hiccup. Hiccup just gave him an odd look. “What? Is a knight not allowed to have any sentiment?”

Hiccup smiled again, this one one of amusement. “The gardens aren’t far. Would you like me to get you a bouquet?”

Viggo laughed, set the flower back on the nightstand. “That won’t be necessary, Your- Hiccup.”

Hiccup looked like he wanted to say something else, but there was a knock at the door, and the guard from outside announced Astrid’s arrival. 

“So much for resting,” Viggo said.

“Oh, I was going to be in bed.”

Viggo cleared his throat.

“Not _in_ bed _with her_ ,” Hiccup said. He shook his head. “Damn, all of you are so protective over our relationship.” He left to answer the door before Viggo could say anything. Viggo sighed and followed. Unpacking and tidying his room could wait till later. 

He came in upon Astrid gently hugging Hiccup. “Hiccup, how are you?” she asked brusquely. “I heard what happened. It’s true that you were attacked?”

“It wasn’t much of an attack,” Hiccup answered, pulling out of the hug. “But I do have to rest. Mind joining me?”

“Of course.”

Astrid paid Viggo no mind as she and Hiccup went into Hiccup’s bedchamber, and why would she? Yes, Viggo was a knight, and getting closer with Hiccup, but to her, he was just another guard.

“So you’re hurt.” It wasn’t a question that came from Astrid, but Hiccup nodded anyway. He climbed into bed, Toothless already there on one of the pillows, having a midmorning nap. 

Astrid sat on the bed as Viggo stood near the doorway, laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. Seeing the affection made Viggo’s hackles raise. He’d started to come to terms with how he felt about Hiccup, especially with all the conversations they’d been having, so watching this very much did not feel good. But it couldn’t be helped. Hiccup was to be married to her and all Viggo could do was hopelessly pine. 

“Where?”

Hiccup touched his right side. “Broken rib.”

“Have they caught the assailant.”

“Not yet.”

“He’ll be killed for this,” Astrid reasoned.

Hiccup shook his head. “Not if I can help it. He didn’t attack because he knew who I was. He just saw a rich man at first and thought it would be a perfect place to start to get food.”

“So what will his punishment be?”

“I have no idea.”

Viggo could think of a few. Hiccup was probably familiar with the punishments of their land, but with his compassion, wouldn’t want them to happen. In his eyes, this had just been a poor man doing what he had to to survive. His own status didn’t matter to him in this case. Whipping and branding were the two that came to Viggo’s mind. They seemed appropriate, but he could see Hiccup thinking otherwise. Though he disagreed, he liked that about him. Though, compassion wasn’t always a helpful trait to have as a leader. Maybe he would grow out of it like he would the childishness. Viggo didn’t know how he would feel if he did grow out of it though.

“Hiccup, certainly you want him punished.” So, Astrid had noticed his trepidation.

Hiccup shrugged, shook his head. “Look, I- yeah, he broke my rib and robbed me, but it seems like such a small offense.”

It was Astrid’s turn to shake her head, and Viggo almost did too. Hiccup was selfless to the point of stupidity, it would seem.

“Hiccup-”

“Yeah, I know I seem stupid, but-”

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Astrid responded with a frown.

Hiccup frowned too. “It was on your face.”

“Well, you know what’s on _your_ face?”

“What?”

Astrid leaned in a kissed him on the lips. They were at least allowed to do that, but the way Astrid was acting like Viggo wasn’t there was making him a little nervous. And… he also didn’t like the kissing. He knew Hiccup didn’t enjoy the kissing either. Everything in him wanted to leave the room and leave them alone, but he couldn’t. It was his duty to guard Hiccup and chaperone him and Astrid. 

He could at least keep his head turned though. He heard the kiss turn wet, become one with tongues, and he tried his absolute best not to grimace. There was nothing he could do, no way he could stop this or interfere in Hiccup’s life. He was just a silent observer.

And would have to remain that way.

  
  


Viggo kept his back politely turned as Hiccup bathed. He would have his turn in the bathing chamber later, when Hiccup was asleep. For now, he just stood with his hand drumming fingers against the pommel of his sword.

“Viggo?”

“Mm?” He didn’t turn around. Hiccup hadn’t given him leave to.

“I… need help.” Hiccup sounded embarrassed admitting it. “I can’t reach my back because of my rib.”

Oh. Well, that made sense, but: “Can’t you get a servant to do it?” Viggo didn’t want to come across as too eager. Of course he wanted to see Hiccup naked, but he couldn’t just show that.

“I, uh… don’t want a servant to do it. I know you better than some random servant.”

That was also true. Viggo turned to see Hiccup glancing over his shoulder and giving him a hopeful look. Viggo swallowed hard. He looked quite beautiful like that, auburn hair darkened with water, wet and clinging to him, freckles all on display. 

“I, um…” It wasn’t like Viggo to falter with his words. “Yes, I can do that.”

“Thank you.”

Viggo slipped his gloves off and set them down on the couch, removed his sword as well. Hiccup watched his movements till Viggo was kneeling behind him, redness in his cheeks. Hiccup handed him the sponge, then leaned forward to show his back. Viggo licked his lips. Now that Hiccup wasn’t watching him, he could show emotion on his face. 

Viggo couldn’t remember ever having touched Hiccup’s naked skin before. He heard the other man’s breath catch when he moved some hair away from his neck and placed a hand on his shoulder. What did that mean? He began rubbing the sponge over his back in smooth circles, looking at that freckled skin as it became submerged in soap. His skin was smooth save for where some of the freckles were raised. Viggo didn’t mind that. His freckles were beautiful just as the rest of him. 

“Viggo?”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever thought of being someone else?”

Viggo was glad they were talking, though he was a little nervous about what would come out of the prince’s mouth now that they were alone in such an intimate situation. But talking was better than silence. 

Hiccup had discussed this before, but the last time he’d brought it up, he’d hit him, and Viggo didn’t want that to happen again. Perhaps he could be more honest with his words instead of spouting what he knew was needed for the kingdom. He wondered if Hiccup’s father knew about these doubts and hopes of his, but doubted it. 

“Not really,” Viggo answered. “A knight just seems fitting for me.”

“So… you’ve never wanted something different? Something… against the rules?”

What was Hiccup getting at? “Against the rules?”

“Like… loving someone else?”

“My love has never been dictated by anyone.” Not the way it was now. Love between him and Hiccup would be forbidden. It was treasonous that he’d even thought of it. Viggo had dedicated his life to his kingdom, and now he wanted its prince, the one and only thing he couldn’t have. 

Hiccup just nodded. He turned in the tub, suddenly took Viggo’s jaw in his hand. It was his turn for his breath to hitch. Hiccup was looking at him so intensely, something in his expression that Viggo couldn’t possibly hope for. Was this merely a dream? 

“I think… I think I want…”

“Hiccup.” Viggo took his wrist, but he couldn’t bring himself to pull his hand away. Droplets decorated his beard. There was so much more he wanted to say: _“You can’t. We can’t. It’s forbidden”,_ but also: _“Yes, do it. Tell me what you want. Kiss me.”_

The two just stared at each other, a million unspoken words drifting in the space between them. Then the space began to close. Hiccup looked to Viggo’s lips, then back, up at his eyes. Viggo’s heart was fluttering. He didn’t know what to do. Well, he did. The right thing to do would be to pull away, but he _wanted_ this.

Their lips brushed, Hiccup still meeting his eyes. Viggo couldn’t help it. He leaned further into the kiss, moving his hand from Hiccup’s wrist to his cheek. Both their eyes closed. There was a zing that went through Viggo’s nerves. He wondered if Hiccup felt it too, if he felt anything from the kiss. Gods, as much as part of him hoped that he did, the part that was dedicated to his kingdom hoped that he didn’t, that this would just be experimentation, a one-time thing, a solitary kiss and nothing more. 

But it was a _good_ kiss. It felt good to have the prince’s lips pressed against his own, lips that he’d dreamt about, thought about, been secretly mesmerized by. Everything in his body reacted. His heart pounded, his blood rushed, his chest felt tight and airy all at the same time. Viggo wanted to do more than just kiss. He wanted to explore Hiccup’s mouth with his tongue, give him his first _full_ sexual experience, take him right there in the tub. He’d do it gently, carefully, making sure he enjoyed every moment of it. He’d-

Viggo ripped himself away from Hiccup, eyes wide, gasping for breath. 

“We shouldn’t.” He quickly turned his back at the disappointed look on Hiccup’s face, his chest hurting at the way his expression fell. 

There was silence between them in which Viggo could only hear the beating of only his heart. 

“I know,” Hiccup said. His voice was hard, cold. “I know. I just wanted to try it.”

Viggo wished he could leave the room, wished he could leave himself alone with his emotions, but he was stuck in this room with Hiccup, stuck with him after that kiss. But if he left Hiccup, he could open him up to danger. It was his _job_ to protect him, and he wanted to make sure he was safe. He would never forgive himself if something happened to him while on his watch. He went to run a hand over his face, then realized it was soapy and wet from the bathwater. He grabbed a towel from a rung on the wall, dried his hands. Then, he went to put his gloves back on, as if that would erase the way he’d touched Hiccup, erase the memory of his skin against his own. His jaw burned from where Hiccup’s fingers had lain. 

He kept his back turned, strapped his sword back on. He could hear Hiccup move in the water, begin to bathe himself again. His movements were slow, as if he was still processing what had just happened. Oh, how Viggo wished he would move faster so that the two of them could be out of there. Hiccup had already eaten dinner and fed Toothless, so he would probably go straight to bed. Viggo wished he was free to leave these chambers without Hiccup, but the king had ordered him not to, had ordered him to stay wherever Hiccup was. He’d told Viggo of the impending danger that could come. Viggo was well aware what could happen if he left to get a drink with someone, or left to do anything else. 

He suddenly wanted to have sex. Not with Hiccup though. Completely useless, meaningless sex. Perhaps he could seduce a servant. Yes, that was a good idea. He did have his own bedchamber here. Hiccup would just have to put up with it. 

The two were silent as Hiccup continued his bath. Viggo kept his back turned as Hiccup got out of the tub, dried himself, and dressed. He felt frustrated. So terribly frustrated. He wanted exactly what he couldn’t have. And he’d never know, unless he asked, if this had merely been an experiment, Hiccup wondering if he could feel absolutely anything from a kiss. 

Hiccup didn’t bother saying goodnight to him, just went into his bedchamber, and loudly shut the door. 

  
  


Hiccup lay in bed, fretting over what had happened earlier. He’d kissed Viggo. By the gods, he’d _kissed Viggo_ , his fucking bodyguard of all people! He was meant to be married to Lady Astrid!

And what was worse was that he’d felt something from it. Not once had he felt something from kissing Astrid, no zing of pleasure, no burst of heat, no nothing, none of the things that people talked about feeling from kissing. 

But he’d felt something from kissing Viggo. It was like pleasure had shot through his body, like his chest had burst, his heart had pounded. He’d felt all the things that were fabled to come from kissing. And he’d felt it from Viggo Grimborn… his bodyguard… someone he was forbidden to be with.

Hiccup wanted to cry in frustration at the nature of his life. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t _fair!_ Everyone else could just love who they wanted and be with who what they wanted. But no, he had to marry someone he didn’t love. 

But did he love Viggo? Surely he felt affection for him, but was it love? 

Hiccup growled, wanting to roll over in bed, but that would hurt his broken rib. So, he stayed where he was, blanket wrapped tightly around him. 

Then he heard something other than Toothless’ purring. He bolted up at the sound, startled, not having expected to hear anything. It sounded like… a moan? 

Hiccup quietly got out of bed after putting on his prosthetic, not wanting to stir Toothless or alert anyone to his presence. What was going on? Yes, Viggo was living with him now, but what could he possibly be doing? And the moan didn’t sound like him either. So someone else was in his rooms as well. 

Hiccup walked on the tiled stone floor as quietly as he could with his prosthetic. The moans grew louder as he neared Viggo’s rooms. Hiccup had an inkling of what was going on, but, he was terribly curious. He quietly pushed open the door, peeked his head through…

Viggo was naked on the bed, on his arms above someone, a woman. His body moved sinuously as he thrusted into her, and the moans were coming from her. Viggo was just making quiet grunting noises. 

Hiccup had never really been jealous of people before, but jealousy suddenly burst to life inside him. So Viggo thought he could just go have sex with a random person after kissing him, did he? He almost wanted to say something, clear his throat, make his presence known. 

But, as with everything that had been unspoken that night, he let that sit, and left, quietly closing the door behind him. 

Art by [mdoodlerfandomart](https://mdoodlerfandomart.tumblr.com/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this, uh, still count as a slow burn????


	10. Chapter 10

Hiccup and Viggo didn’t talk at all the next morning. Hiccup didn’t know if Viggo knew that he’d seen him having sex with that woman, but Viggo certainly knew that Hiccup had heard it. She hadn’t been very quiet, and Hiccup was wondering if Viggo had done all that just to spite him. 

In fact, they didn’t talk until later in the day. Well, yell, was more accurate. 

Snotlout had managed to get rid of Viggo, without Hiccup’s permission, and Tuffnut and Ruffnut cornered him in a hallway. He’d been on his way to see Astrid. Really, he should have been staying in bed because of his rib, but he was restless. 

Now, Hiccup was stuck with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and they were looking at him very suggestively, like they knew something that he didn’t. 

“What-what is it?” Hiccup asked nervously. He was backed against the wall, Ruffnut and Tuffnut blocking off his every exit. Tuffnut had an arm beside his head. 

“So, Hiccup,” Tuffnut started. “When you bathe, you have your bodyguard with you, right?”

“Um, yeah? I’m supposed to.” Hiccup didn’t know where this was going. He thought of last night, of the kiss, and he felt horrible all over again. He shouldn’t have done that. He should have-

“And does said bodyguard  _ see  _ anything?” Ruffnut asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“No, he keeps his back turned.” Why were his friends suddenly interested in his bathing habits? 

“But did he last night?” Tuffnut asked.

“Um, what are you talking about?”

Ruffnut put the back of her hand to her forehead, feigned swooning. “Oh, Viggo, I can’t wash my back on my own. You must do it for me. Oh, Viggo, please!”

“I don’t sound like that! Wait…” Hiccup realized something. They weren’t supposed to know about that. “You  _ heard  _ all that?”

“Ah, so he admits to it!” Tuffnut cried victoriously. 

“Did you kiss him?” Ruffnut asked.

Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest, angry that his friends had been eavesdropping. How had they gotten into his chambers anyway? Well, they’d probably tricked the guards, but still. 

“No, I didn’t kiss him,” he lied. “Why would I do that? I’m with Astrid.”

“Yeah, but there was this big gap of silence,” Ruffnut said. “And the only reason  _ I  _ can think of for that is that you had your lips all smushed together.”

Tuffnut laughed. “Isn’t he a little old for you, Hiccup?”

Hiccup tried shoving past his friends, not happy with where this was going. He hadn’t given them the right to any of this information. Tuffnut put a hand on his chest and pushed him back against the wall, not allowing him to leave. 

“I didn’t kiss him!” Hiccup cried. He had to keep up the lie. If word got out that he had, and oh gods, if Astrid found out… She and his dad would be furious with him, with Viggo. Such a relationship was forbidden.

Ruffnut obnoxiously imitated kissing noises. Then: “Was it a good kiss? He does have rather nice lips.”

“Ew,” Tuffnut said.

“What? A girl can look!”

“At Hiccup’s  _ bodyguard? _ ” Tuffnut asked incredulously.

“Guys, just stop it,” Hiccup snapped. He wanted to leave, wanted to go see Astrid to get his mind off of all the nonsense with Viggo. Astrid wouldn’t know that he’d kissed his bodyguard. She’d never know. 

“Did you guys fuck after?” Ruffnut questioned. She leaned in close and said more quietly: “I bet he’s got a  _ big  _ cock.”

Hiccup was about to shove her away from him when a shout of his name came from down the hallway. A familiar shout. He looked to see Viggo briskly striding towards him, a clear look of anger on his face.

“Hiccup, I thought you learned your lesson about wandering off!” Viggo snapped. The twins began leaving Hiccup be, giving each other conspiratorial looks. Clearly, they thought this was going to turn into something intimate. Hiccup hoped it wouldn’t, not after last night. He’d fucked up so badly, and then Viggo had gone and fucked someone else. This whole thing was a mess. “Unless you  _ want  _ to be attacked again.”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut had left, and now Hiccup was alone with Viggo. Before Hiccup could give an explanation, Viggo grabbed Hiccup by the arm and began dragging him back to his rooms. 

“Hey, this time wasn’t my fault!” Hiccup yelled. They got to his rooms, the doors closing behind them. Hiccup stood his ground, hands balled into fists, looking furiously at Viggo. 

“Oh, so you didn’t send Snotlout to distract me?”

“I didn’t. But at least Snotlout’s not a servant with big breasts.”

Viggo looked aghast. They had silently decided they weren’t going to talk about what had happened, but now Hiccup had broken that agreement.

“Hiccup-”

“So you think you can just go fuck whoever you want after kissing me?~” Hiccup yelled. “You think you can play with me like that?!”

“I am  _ not  _ toying with you!”

“Oh yeah? Then what was that about making her moan so loudly I could hear it from my bedchamber?” Hiccup was furious about this. How could Viggo think he could just go fuck someone else after kissing him? “Are you  _ trying  _ to spite me?”

Silence. The two of them stared at each other. Hiccup was breathing hard. 

“Yes,” Viggo said.

“Yes?” Hiccup hadn’t expected that answer. Not at all. 

“Yes, I was trying to spite you,” Viggo said. “Which I now realize was wrong, but-”

“Then why the fuck did you do it?!” 

“Hiccup! Would you shut up and let me apologize?!”

Hiccup clamped his mouth shut. No one had ever told him, much less yelled at him, to shut up before. It was below anyone’s rank save for his father. He was shocked. Then again, it was him who had put them on a first-name basis. It was him who had started to get familiar with him. 

“I am  _ sorry  _ for what I did last night,” Viggo said emphatically. “It won’t happen again. I will not bring anyone into your rooms for the purpose of seducing them.”

“And what about the kiss?”

“What about it?”

“Did you… mean it?” Hiccup asked. “Or were you going along with it to please me?” Hiccup needed to know. He wanted to make sure he hadn’t been controlling Viggo. 

Viggo sighed. He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m… I’m not quite sure what to say.”

“Tell me the truth.” Hiccup’s hands had unfurled from fists, and he was beginning to relax a little. Just a little. He was terribly nervous at what Viggo’s words would be.

“I meant it,” Viggo finally said after long moments in silence. “Yes, I meant it.”

Hiccup swallowed hard. Well, that made things more complicated. 

“I’m with Astrid,” he said.

“I know.”

But it hadn’t been Viggo that had initiated that moment of intimacy. It had been Hiccup that had turned around and taken him by the jaw. However, they both had closed the space between each other.

“I was just… experimenting,” Hiccup lied. Yes, that was a lie. He was starting to feel things for Viggo, things that he didn’t think could be undone, things like affection. 

Viggo looked hurt, but he nodded. “And… the results of your experiment?”

“I…” Hiccup wanted to lie some more, tell him that he didn’t like men, tell him that he didn’t even like  _ him _ . “Inconclusive,” was what he said. 

Instead of waiting around to see how Viggo would react, Hiccup turned and went into his bedchamber, closing the door behind him. He could see Astrid later. Besides, his rib was hurting from him raising his voice and breathing hard. He didn’t know how he felt about what had just transpired. Ruffnut and Tuffnut knew that he’d kissed Viggo. He prayed to the gods that they wouldn’t go around telling people that. They would know how dangerous that could be, right? Or would that just go over their heads. Then again, they were smarter than people gave them credit for. 

Toothless made a  _ brrt!  _ noise when he saw Hiccup, stretched on the bed, sauntered over to him in the way only a cat could. 

“Hey, Toothless,” Hiccup said glumly. He went over to him, scratched him under the chin. Toothless purred, but then looked at him like he knew something was wrong. He probably did: he was an intelligent cat. 

Hiccup felt bad that he’d hurt Viggo by saying it had been nothing but an experiment with his feelings, but it seemed fair after what Viggo had done to him, having sex with that servant and all. Maybe, now that they were on even ground, they would finally stop hurting one another. Hiccup could only hope. 

  
  


Viggo stared at the dried purple flower on his nightstand. He should have been guarding Hiccup’s door, but he’d gone into his bedchamber for a bit to think, to clear his head. So, that had been nothing but an experiment. That had meant nothing to Hiccup. He’d just been using him.

And why couldn’t he use him? Viggo was his bodyguard, under his rule and his beck and call. Viggo was meant to be used. That was his position in life. He just hadn’t realized it until now. 

With an angry growl, Viggo swiped up the flower, went over to his window, opened it, and dropped the flower out of it. He watched as it swayed in the wind, like it was dancing. It steadily fell away from view, and Viggo shut the window.

  
  


Hiccup kissed Astrid hard. He didn’t enjoy their kisses, but he was determined to try. What had happened with Viggo was a mistake, and he couldn’t do it again. He had to focus on Astrid, despite the fact that it made him feel like his life was being controlled. And it really was, wasn’t it? His father had all the say in what he did and didn’t do. That’s why Viggo was now living with him. Gods, if his father found out… He wanted to find Ruffnut and Tuffnut and swear them to secrecy, but Viggo wasn’t going to let him around them any time soon.

Astrid pulled out of the kiss.

“What is it?” Hiccup asked. Why had she stopped? 

“It looks like something’s on your mind,” Astrid said. They were sitting on one of his couches together, Viggo in the corner of the room, not looking at them. Toothless was curled up next to Hiccup, content and sleepy after about half an hour of playtime. 

“Nothing’s on my mind,” Hiccup lied. He was starting to have to lie a lot now. He leaned in to kiss her again, but she put a finger to his lips and pushed him away. 

“Yes, something is. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?”

_ But I can’t. I really, really can’t.  _

“So, what is it?”

“I’m…” Hiccup had to think of something, something they could reasonably have a conversation about. “I’m thinking of what to do with the man who attacked me.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. It had been in the back of his mind though, not the forefront. 

“If they find him.”

“ _ When  _ they find him.” Hiccup knew that Stoick’s knights were adept at their jobs. They would find him. 

“What do you think is going to happen to him?” Astrid asked.

Hiccup shrugged. “I’m expected to have him punished in someway, you know?” He would probably be branded as a thief, and the brand would be very visible, on his face. He would never get a job or services that way. Was there something else Hiccup could do? It still pained him that he had to order someone to be hurt, but there was really no getting around it. It was expected of him. 

Astrid nodded. “I’m sorry. I know this makes you uncomfortable.”

“Yeah.” Hiccup looked away, sighed. “But let’s not think about that right now. For now, we’re with each other.” He wanted that to sound romantic. Maybe it did. He hoped that Astrid couldn’t tell that he wanted to draw away from her, that he didn’t want to get married. He couldn’t ever let her find out. 

Astrid smiled, took one of his hands in hers. “Yeah, we are.” She leaned forward and kissed him, and Hiccup pretended to enjoy it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I highly suggest going back to previous chapters and looking at the beautiful fanart! I also made a playlist that's linked to chapter 1.


	11. Chapter 11

Hiccup was resting in his rooms when multiple knights arrived to tell him that they’d found the man that had assaulted him. Hiccup sighed. He’d known this day was coming, and he still hadn’t decided on a punishment. He looked to Viggo, who stood a few feet behind him. The two hadn’t talked much since their argument. What was there to say? They’d aired it all out in the open, it seemed. Well, Hiccup had lied, so there was that, but Viggo didn’t know he’d lied. He hadn’t told Viggo that the twins knew they’d kissed, as, so far, they had been quiet about it.

Hiccup stood, deciding he would have to wear his crown for this. He went and retrieved it from his bedchamber. It felt too heavy on his head.

“And I’m assuming the king will be there?” Hiccup asked as he left with Viggo and the contingent of knights. The man was being held in the courtyard. 

“Yes, Your Highness,” one of the knights answered. 

Hiccup sighed. He hoped his father remembered his words, that he didn’t want the man to be executed for what he’d done to him. Some lost money and a broken rib was not worth someone’s life, even with his status. 

It was cloudy when Hiccup stepped outside, the sun hardly piercing through the gray covering. The sky was white with humidity. Hiccup knew that would make his hair even harder to deal with, and he probably didn’t look the part of a polished prince because of it. 

He recognized the man that was down on his knees in the courtyard, tied with his hands behind his back. He looked afraid and angry all at once. 

The man spit at Hiccup’s feet as he approached, and Hiccup jumped back, startled. He was going to show what mercy he could to this man. He probably thought he was going to be killed though. 

Viggo went to draw his sword, got it halfway out of the sheath before Hiccup laid a hand on his wrist and looked at him. 

“It’s alright,” he said. 

Viggo stood down, sheathed his sword, taking a small step back with a nod. He’d been much quieter than he usually was since their argument, not making any jibes at Hiccup like he usually would. And Hiccup hadn’t been making any jibes at him. Their relationship, for once, was actually like prince and bodyguard. Hiccup didn’t like it. 

“You’re going to have me killed, aren’t you?” the man asked.

Hiccup shook his head. “I’m not. I-” He was cut off as he heard big footsteps, turned to see Stoick approaching. He gave a small bow, like he was supposed to for the king in public. 

Stoick gave him a nod, then stood in front of the man with his fists on his hips. “So, you’re the one who saw it fit to mug my son.”

Anger left the man’s eyes, his features changing to those of fear, his eyes going big and pleading. 

“Your Majesty, please, I needed the money for food.”

Stoick raised a hand to silence him. “You still hurt my son. And for that you will-”

“Wait, Your Majesty,” Hiccup interrupted. He put a hand on Stoick’s shoulder. “I want to spare this man’s life.”

Stoick glanced at Hiccup, then nodded. He whispered to Hiccup. “The usual punishment for theft is branding.”

That seemed so harsh! They’d be branded as a thief their whole life, unable to get a job or housing because of it. That certainly wasn’t fair.

“No,” Hiccup said quietly. “I won’t have him be branded as a thief.”

“Then what punishment do you choose?”

Hiccup looked at the now-anxious man, worried at his lower lip with his teeth. It was so difficult to decide to have someone hurt. It was so difficult to choose in which way the hurting would happen.

“Whipping,” Hiccup said loud enough for everyone gathered to hear. “10 lashes.”

The man looked shocked that that was all he was getting. He’d expected his life to be taken, or had expected a brand. Whipping was as merciful as Hiccup could be. At least with that, the wounds would heal and would not brand him as a thief. His life wasn’t forfeit. 

“Thank you, Your Highness,” he said quietly. 

Stoick ordered for one of the knights to bring a whip. A few minutes passed in tense silence. Once they returned, the whip was placed in Hiccup’s hand. He looked down at it in shock. But yes, he would be expected to do this. How could he ask another person to hurt someone else? But, how could  _ he himself  _ hurt someone else?

He swallowed hard, hand trembling. He tightened his fingers around the handle. He could do this, he could do this. 

The knights turned the man around and tore off his shirt. Hiccup just stared at his bare back, fear and revulsion making him hesitate.  _ How  _ could he do this? He’d never really hurt anyone before, not on purpose at least, and not in such a way as this. The most has been a hard hit in sparring, not anything like doling out punishment.

“Your Majesty?” Stoick asked when moments passed and Hiccup did nothing. 

“Right, right.” Hiccup took a deep breath, hoping he didn’t look weak in front of his father and the knights for his clear hesitation. He raised the whip, the feeling unfamiliar.

He brought it down on the man’s back. Blood bloomed in a slash across his flesh. Hiccup cringed at the way he yelled. 

That was one.

He didn’t know how he brought his hand up to dole out the second lash after he’d seen what the first had done, but he did.

Hiccup’s mind went to a faraway place, leaving him alone to this, leaving him cold and empty. He needed to get this done. He  _ had  _ to. 

A few more lashes. Then his mind came back. He was breathing heavily, hand shaking around the handle of the whip. Blood trailed off the corded leather and dripped down onto his boots. That could be cleaned, but it still made him feel sick.

_ Okay, two more, two more. I can do this. _

Hiccup brought down the last two lashes. He cringed hard at the man’s cries, unable to stop himself.

But it was over. He lowered the whip, letting blood get on the stone. He’d done it. He’d doled out pain and punishment like he’d been supposed to. 

And oh, it felt awful. So, so awful. Nausea rose in his stomach. He fought to not put a hand to it, not wanting to show anymore weakness than he already had. 

He handed the whip off to one of the knights, then went and crouched in front of the man to be at eye level with him.

“Am I to be imprisoned now?” he asked, and it hurt to hear the pain in his voice.

Hiccup looked to his father, saw him nodding. He probably saw a week or so of imprisonment fit for this. 

“No,” Hiccup said. “No, you are not.” Stoick looked exasperated at that, but Hiccup didn’t care. He could sort this out with him later.

“And, if you needed money from me, you just could have asked,” Hiccup let him know. The man looked at him in shock. 

“Well, I’ve got plenty of it. Too much, if you ask me.” He was talking quietly so his father wouldn’t hear his words and consider them blasphemous. 

“Here.” Hiccup went around to his back, used his dagger to undo the tight knots that had been done around his wrists. He tried so hard not to look at his wounds, but he did, and it made him feel sick all over again. They were hardly the most horrific thing ever, but the fact that  _ he’d  _ done that…

Once the man was standing and rubbing his wrists, Hiccup went in front of him again. And he did something that made the gathered people gasp: he handed him his coin purse. 

The man looked at it in shock. He opened it, saw the gold and silver coins there. He looked at Hiccup, mouth open in awe.

“For healing, food, and shelter,” Hiccup said. He closed the man’s hand around the purse. “I don’t  _ want  _ you to suffer.”

“But I hurt you,” the man argued. “And you’re the  _ prince _ .”

Hiccup nodded. His rib was still a pretty constant ache. He didn’t know what to say to that, to express how he was feeling. He looked to the knights. “Have him released at once.”

The knights looked shocked still, no one moving to open the gate and let the man go.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. “I  _ said  _ at once.”

The knights nodded and went to open the gates. The man dipped his head to Hiccup in thanks, a small smile spreading his lips despite the pain. And then he was off. People stood around in silence, unsure of how to respond to Hiccup’s actions. But surely Stoick would speak to Hiccup about this in private, not out here where everyone could hear. 

“I need rest,” Hiccup announced. Maybe that would deter a talk with his dad. And, he wasn’t exactly lying either. His rib was hurting. 

The knights parted and let Hiccup pass by with Viggo. The two said nothing to each other as they walked the halls on the way to Hiccup’s apartments. 

Hiccup was relieved once he was in his own rooms away from everybody else. He let out a big breath, looked down at his boots. He removed his crown and set it on an end table, happy to have the weight removed from his head. Next, Hiccup went and took a cloth from his wash basin, took his boots off, and began to clean the blood off of them.

“Your Majesty, you can get a servant to do that,” Viggo said. So, they weren’t on a first name basis anymore, it would seem. 

Hiccup sighed, looked at Viggo. He was going to be honest with him today.

“But I don’t want to,” he responded. “They were my actions. I have to take care of it.”

He went back to cleaning.

After a long time in silence, Viggo actually spoke up.

“How are you feeling?”

Hiccup lowered the cloth and the boot. Maybe the stain would need something more to be removed. 

“Not great,” he responded. He looked down at his hands. His left one was still shaking a little. That had been the hand that had held the whip, that had brought it crashing down on that man’s back. “I didn’t want to hurt anybody.”

“But as a king, you will have to see punishments through to their end.”

Hiccup shot Viggo a glare. “Like I don’t know that,” he snapped. He hated it when Viggo just repeated the same things he already knew and heard. He scrubbed furiously at his boot, not looking at Viggo as he stood by the doorway, angry with him. 

“I’m sorry,” Viggo said. “I know you understand that.”

Hiccup blinked at him in shock. Viggo wasn’t really the kind of man to apologize. 

“I… I think it’s time I stopped treating you like a petulant child,” Viggo told him. “You’ve made it clear that you’re maturing and understanding your role in things.”

Another shock.  _ Everyone  _ treated Hiccup like a spoiled, petulant child, despite the fact that he was an adult, especially Viggo. 

Hiccup set the boots down on the floor. A servant  _ would  _ have to get the stains out. 

“Uh, thank you.” He wasn’t sure what to say. He ran a hand through his hair. “I guess, I guess I just really need to step up and stop acting like one.”

“But that doesn’t mean you have no right to your feelings,” Viggo said. “I can see that that punishment troubled you.”

Hiccup stood, balled his hands into fists. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure everyone could see that.” He sighed, unclenching his hands. “I… I looked weak and ridiculous out there.” He shouldn’t have given the man his money like that, and he shouldn’t have said no to imprisonment. Logically, he knew these things, but in his heart it felt wrong. 

“Maybe not,” Viggo said. “Maybe people will rally to a king who is loving and gentle.”

Hiccup snorted, began pacing despite needing rest. “Yeah, right. They’re so used to my dad. How will anyone ever follow me?”

“I’ll follow you.”

Hiccup knew it was Viggo’s duty, but there was something so genuine in his words, something so true and loyal. Even if it  _ wasn’t _ his job, he would follow him. 

“Thank you,” Hiccup said, really meaning it. It felt good to be talking to Viggo again. Viggo just dipped his head in acknowledgment, and Hiccup smiled. 

  
  


Thunder rolled and boomed into a crescendo, lightning streaking blue across the sky. Hiccup was sleeping restlessly due to the dry summer storm. He hadn’t seen Toothless for a little bit, but he wasn’t worried. He was probably somewhere else in his apartments. He always came back to him no matter what. 

He drifted in and out of sleep and dreams. They were dreams of Viggo, of naked skin touching, lips colliding. Hiccup moaned in his sleep.

He was awoken by a small sound that he somehow heard over the thunder. Maybe it was Toothless. He was trying to come out of sleep, but it was clinging to him.

A footstep. Hiccup jolted awake at that. That was when a shadow pounced at him, holding him down to the bed. 

“Wh-what?”

“Be quiet and make this easier on yourself,” a rough, male voice said. Lightning flashed and there was a glint of metal. 

Hiccup managed to roll away, understanding what was happening. His pillow was sliced into instead of his throat.

“ _ Viggo! _ ” Hiccup shouted as loud as he could. “Viggo, help!” 

He quickly got out of the bed. It was difficult to see in the dark, but he saw the shadowy figure make a move for him. He didn’t have his prosthetic on, so he couldn’t run. He would have to try his best to defend himself until his bodyguard got here, which shouldn’t take too long.

Hiccup dodged, crashed to the floor. He rolled as the man tried to pin him again, kicked him in the side, shoving  _ him  _ to the floor.

“ _ Viggo! _ ” Hiccup screamed again, unsure whether or not he had heard him. 

There was a sound of heavy, running footsteps, stumbling, a crash, a curse. Viggo must have tripped and fallen on something in the darkness. But, he was coming.

The man grabbed Hiccup by the leg, dragged him back across the floor. Hiccup clawed at the stone tiles with his nails, trying to find a good hold. 

Viggo burst into the room, sword drawn. He spotted the assassin instantly despite the dark. He lunged for him, and sparks flew as blades met. The assassin had had to let go of Hiccup to fight off Viggo, and he crawled away from the fight. He tried taking cover behind his wardrobe, but a knife was thrown, and he couldn’t dodge quick enough, his broken rib screaming at him because of all the movement. It sliced across his right bicep and embedded itself in the wall. Hiccup yelled, dropped to one knee behind the wardrobe. He tried watching the fight in the dark, hoping that the assassin didn’t have anymore knives to throw. 

It was hard to see. Thunder burst outside, the occasional flash of lightning showing off swords and moving bodies. There was a cry, but not from Viggo, and the assassin dropped to his knees. Hiccup heard a sword clatter to the floor. Viggo must have gotten his hand. Good. 

In another flash of lightning, he saw Viggo move for a killing strike.

“No!” Hiccup cried. He stood up on his one leg, holding his bleeding arm. “We need him alive.” 

Viggo glanced back at him for just a moment, and then he was connecting the pommel of his sword with the man’s head, knocking him out cold. Hopefully he would still be cognizant enough for questioning, but it was too risky having him conscious. 

Hiccup’s night guard, Bjorn, came rushing into the room, sword drawn, much too late to partake in the fight. He took in the scene in the dark. 

“Get my father,” Hiccup ordered. “And gather the other knights.” He looked down at the unconscious man, unable to see his features int he dark. There was cold rushing through his veins. “Someone just tried to assassinate me.”


	12. Chapter 12

Hiccup winced as the wound on his arm was tended to by a healer. She was cleaning it and trying to stop the bleeding.

“This might need stitches,” she said. 

That was alright. What was more pressing was that someone had just tried to  _ kill  _ him. All the torches were lit in his rooms, and it was crowded with knights and the king. They’d examined the assassin’s face while was knocked out, but he was no one familiar. They’d searched his person and had found nothing indicating who he was working for. He’d been carried to a cell and was under careful watch. The knife that had gotten Hiccup’s arms was being examined, as was the man’s sword. They were trying to find any clues as to who this man was. 

“Hiccup, are you alright?” Stoick asked for what felt like the millionth time. 

Hiccup didn’t know the answer to that question. He was shaken for sure, and his rib was hurting from all the maneuvers he’d made. His arm was burning as well. He looked pale, and was trembling a little bit from the rush of adrenaline. He’d never been so close to death before. The man could have slit his throat while he was sleeping and gotten away with the whole thing! 

“I-I’m fine.” He looked away from what the healer was doing, a little queasy at the sight of his own split flesh. Toothless had reappeared and was sitting in Hiccup’s lap. 

The thunderstorm was still ongoing, and now with rain. They’d found a rope outside and Hiccup’s window open. The assassin had scaled the castle walls to get to him. Whoever he was, he was clearly very skilled. He’d somehow gotten past the guards at the gate. They were currently being questioned as to if they’d seen anything suspicious. They wanted to know how he’d gotten in. 

Hiccup pet Toothless with his left hand. The cat looked at him with big, worried eyes. Clearly he could feel the tension, smell the blood. 

“I’m okay, Toothless,” Hiccup told him, leaning down to say it near his ear. 

Hiccup looked up when he noticed Viggo shaking his head.

“What is it?”

“That damn cat of yours tripped me,” Viggo told him. “I would have been there faster if he hadn’t.”

“He was probably scared,” Hiccup said a little defensively. He didn’t like any insult to Toothless. 

Viggo was in his armor now, whereas earlier, when the assassin attacked, he’d been in a pair of pants and little else. It was rare that Hiccup got to see Viggo’s skin. It had made him feel a little awkward while they’d waited for the other knights and Stoick to get there. (Viggo hadn’t left him alone until they’d arrived.) He had told Viggo the kiss had been nothing but an experiment, and that he didn’t like him in that way, but it had all been a lie. He’d been dreaming about him just before the attack, so seeing him shirtless had left him a little flustered, despite being shaken from said attack. Hiccup was feeling a multitude of things that he could hardly comprehend: fear, gratefulness, confusion… He just wished all these people would get out of his apartments and he could go back to bed.

“Actually, I think he was trying to get to you,” Viggo said.

“Where was he?” Hiccup was a little surprised by this. Usually Toothless was startled by loud noises, and his yells had definitely been loud. 

A flash of stubborn indignation in Viggo’s eyes. “Curled around my head.”

Hiccup laughed. The laugh turned into a cry as the healer began stitching his arm. But still, the image was funny. Toothless had always liked Viggo right from the start. It wasn’t surprising that he’d found his way into his room to sleep with him. 

“It’s not funny,” Viggo said.

“It’s very funny.”

“He could have gotten you killed.”

“Well, he - ow! - didn’t.” 

Stoick had drawn his attention away from Hiccup, was now talking with the other knights. Hiccup could hear him setting up extra guards in and around Hiccup’s rooms. 

_ There goes what little privacy I had. _

Would Hiccup even be able to tell his friends about this? Would he be allowed out and about? Would he be allowed visitors? He had a million questions, but realized now was not the time to ask any of them. It would just make him seem selfish.

Hiccup tried to stay quiet as his arm was stitched, but it hurt quite a bit. He gritted his teeth over a groan. Viggo gave him a sympathetic look. Hiccup didn’t know why. The man had certainly had worse injuries than this. 

Next, the healer checked on Hiccup’s rib to make sure there wasn’t further damage. Luckily, there didn’t appear to be, and Hiccup was allowed to lower his shirt.

He stood, and everyone in the room looked to him as he did, probably expecting some grand announcement. Instead, what they got was:

“I’m tired. I’ll be retiring to my bedchamber. Thank you for the extra protection.”

He was leaving, and Viggo trailed loyally behind him. He would be placed inside the bedroom for the time being. Hiccup didn’t know when the poor man would get time to sleep. Granted, his adrenaline was probably still high. Hiccup’s was all gone, and he was exhausted from it.

Toothless came with him as he took off his prosthetic and got into bed. He felt nervous taking the prosthetic off, as not having it on had almost gotten him killed, but it was uncomfortable and sometimes even painful to sleep with. His stump was bothering him a little bit anyway. He rubbed at it a little, then got under the blankets. Toothless curled up by his head.

“He really likes you, you know,” Hiccup said to Viggo, staring at the opposite wall. There was no use trying to pretend that the man  _ wasn’t  _ in his room. 

“Who?”

“Toothless.” Hiccup reached up a hand and pet him on the head, eliciting a quiet purr. “And if Toothless trusts you, then I trust you.” Cats were usually a very good judge of character. 

“You really love him.”

“He’s been my friend for 12 years,” Hiccup told him. “Of course I do.”

He closed his eyes, and tried to sleep as thunder boomed outside. His now-closed window rattled, but the sound made him nervous, as the assassin had come in through the window. 

Hiccup tossed and turned and laid there for what felt like an hour. He heard his father and some of the knights leave, the rest placed on guard duty. 

“When will you get to sleep?” Hiccup asked. He was staring at the ceiling. 

“Probably during the day,” Viggo answered. “You have plenty of protection.”

Hiccup nodded. “Will I be able to see my friends?”

“You’ll probably be confined to the castle,” Viggo said. “But they can most likely come visit.”

“Good.” He wanted them to know about what had happened. How couldn’t he tell them?

The two fell silent. There was tension, but Hiccup wasn’t about to break it by speaking. He’d lied to Viggo. He couldn’t go back and change that now.

He only fell asleep as the thunderstorm began to die down and pink was coming in through the clouds, Toothless wrapped protectively around his head, and Viggo standing by the door with one hand on his sword. He was safe for now. 

  
  


“What’s with all the knights?” Tuffnut asked. Hiccup and his friends were gathered in the main room of his apartments. Astrid was beside him, holding his hand. Tuffnut leaned forward and said quietly: “Going to have an orgy later?” 

“Tuffnut!” Hiccup cried. So far, the twins hadn’t even told Hiccup’s  _ friends  _ about the kiss, but now it seemed like Tuffnut was coming close. 

“ _ No _ , Tuffnut,” Astrid said with a roll of her eyes. “Someone tried to kill him.” Astrid had been here before any of them, and Hiccup had given her the news. 

Tuffnut just gaped, looked at Hiccup. 

“ _ Really? _ ” Ruffnut asked, intrigued, moving to the edge of her chair.

“Yes, really,” Hiccup said. He was tired and irritable from the night before, but still shaken as well. The slice on his arm was evidence of how close he’d been to having his life taken. He remembered the assassin pushing him into his bed, a knife ready for his throat. 

“Who?” Snotlout asked. “What happened?”

Hiccup retold the fight with the assassin and Viggo’s part in it, leaving out that he’d tripped on Toothless on the way to him. He was actually glad for Astrid holding his hand through it. It was a terrifying memory. 

“So they don’t know who it was?” Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup shook his head. “They’re trying to find that out right now.”

“Then why aren’t you down in the dungeons?” Snotlout asked. “I’d want to throw a punch or two at the guy that almost killed me.”

“Snotlout, you  _ know  _ I don’t like violence.” Hiccup was also still upset over the whipping that had happened earlier that day. He hadn’t told his friends about that. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t hurt someone who was helpless.”

Snotlout gave him a dumbfounded look. “But he was so close to killing you.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t.” Hiccup was getting a little aggravated. The extra protection and lack of privacy wasn’t helping with that. Viggo wasn’t around at the moment, sleeping like he’d said he would be. He was taking the night watch now, as that was when it was most likely another attempt would happen, if there even would be another attempt.

“Do you think your dad knew about this?” Astrid asked. “I mean, having your bodyguard move in with you was big.”

Hiccup had forgotten about thinking that his dad knew something he didn’t because of all the excitement with the assassination attempt. Maybe… maybe his dad  _ had  _ known. But he hadn’t told him. He’d taken extra precaution, which was good, but he hadn’t let him know what was going on when he’d known about it. Why was his father hiding things from him?

“I… I don’t know,” Hiccup answered, not sure how to convey his thoughts. “Actually, I’ll go talk to him.” 

“Right now?” Fishlegs asked. “But we just got here.” 

Hiccup stood. “This is important, Fishlegs. I’m sorry.” He let go of Astrid’s hand and stood. “You’re all welcome to stay though. I’ll be back.” 

“Do you want any of us to come with you?” Astrid questioned. 

Hiccup shook his head. “This is a talk I have to have alone.” Well, relatively alone. He’d still have a bodyguard with him, just not Viggo. 

A knight shadowed Hiccup as he left his rooms. He could feel his friends all looking at him, wondering why they were being excluded, but he couldn’t do this with them around. He was starting to feel angry, but he didn’t know if that anger was justified or not. He knew his father would be in the dungeons, helping with questioning their new prisoner.

The dungeons were a part of the castle that Hiccup had visited when he was very young, just out of curiosity, and he hadn’t been back ever since. They’d scared him with their walls of grey-black stone, the cells with bars of iron, and most of all, the prisoners. Hiccup hadn’t known what those people were in for, but they’d said some unsavory things to him, had scared him away completely. Now, he was heading back into that dank, dark place full of unsavory characters.

The guards easily let him through, and one led him down with a lantern, saying he would show him where the assassin’s cell was. Hiccup could hear things that sounded like cries and moans of pain. He wouldn’t be walking in on a pretty sight. 

“Oh, you’re a pretty thing,” a woman’s voice said, and Hiccup looked to the side to see an older woman coming up to the bars. He sneered at her, then ignored her. Or, he tried his best to. She wasn’t the only thing saying things towards him. Most of them were about his looks. One comment was so bad that it had Hiccup’s bodyguard unsheathing his sword and slamming it against the bars. 

“Say that to the prince again, and you’ll lose your hands,” he threatened. 

Hiccup didn’t say anything to stop this behavior from the bodyguard. He liked that he had someone to stand up for him, as his face was going red with humiliation. 

The sounds of pain only grew louder as they approached. They rounded a corner and Stoick came into view, standing in front of a cell that had the door swung open. Hiccup peered inside, could see the assassin, shirtless and chained to the wall. Blood spilled from many wounds on his abdomen. There was a man there, holding a knife, and there was an array of them on the table behind him.

Stoick turned when he noticed the approach.

“Hiccup, you shouldn’t be down here,” he said, but there was no hint of anger in his voice, just surprise.

Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest as the guard who had led him there began to leave. He would just have to say these things in front of his new bodyguard. 

“I need to talk to you.”

Stoick gestured to the scene in front of him. “Does now really look like a good time?”

“There’s no good time for this.”

Stoick sighed, rubbed a hand over his face. It looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep since the attack. 

“What is it?”

“You knew about this, didn’t you?” Hiccup asked. “You knew someone was coming to assassinate me.”

“I didn’t know someone was going to assassinate you,” Stoick told him. “I knew that  _ something  _ was going to happen. I just didn’t know  _ what _ .”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hiccup’s anger was justified, it appeared. His father had been keeping secrets from him.

“Would you have liked living with that knowledge weighing over your head?” Stoick asked. “Driving you to paranoia?” He took him by the shoulders. “You’re young, Hiccup. You didn’t need this weight on you.”

Hiccup moved out of his dad’s grasp. “I’m the  _ prince _ . I’m not a  _ child _ . You should have told me.” 

Stoick frowned. “I’m… I’m sorry I didn’t.”

Hiccup hadn’t come here expecting an apology, but he had just gotten one. It was rare for his father to apologize. He didn’t know what to do with that. 

“I could have been killed, dad.”

“I know.”

Hiccup suddenly wanted to hug him, but he couldn’t do that in front of the assassin and the other prisoners. He needed to show strength down here. He looked towards the assassin, trying not to cringe. “Have you gotten anything out of him?”

“Nothing yet,” Stoick answered. “But I have my suspicions of who he’s working for.”

“Who?”

“King Dagur,” Stoick responded. “It can’t be anyone but him.”

“Don’t we have other enemies?” Hiccup asked, thinking maybe his dad was a little too quick to blame his problems on Berzerk. 

“Yes, but he’s had patrols crossing our borders for weeks now,” Stoick said. Great. Another thing his father had been hiding from him. Did he really think he was too immature to handle all this information? “There have been some skirmishes.”

Hiccup almost demanded to know why Stoick hadn’t told him, but now wasn’t the time for that. A fight in front of the assassin wouldn’t look good. 

“I see,” Hiccup said. So, maybe it could be Dagur. He looked to the man, staring transfixed at a bleeding wound on his abdomen. 

“Son,” Stoick said, drawing Hiccup’s attention away. “I know you… don’t like violence. You can go.”

Hiccup balled his hands into fists. “So you think I’m soft?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You might as well have.” Hiccup shook his head. “No. This man tried to kill me, and I want to know why.”

“Fine.” Stoick didn’t look happy, but: “You may stay.”

“Thank you.” 

Hiccup took up a position beside Stoick, and the torturer continued his work. 

  
  


“Dagur!” the man screamed.  _ Finally.  _ An answer. “It was Dagur!” 

“Kill him,” Stoick ordered the torturer. “This was an act of war, and will be considered as such.”

Hiccup wanted to argue, wanted to say they needed him alive, but really, they didn’t. They’d gotten what they needed from him. And yes, this was an act of war. Trying to take out the heir of a neighboring country was nothing but. 

The torturer went in close to slit the man’s throat. Hiccup sharply turned his head away, breathing hard at the sound of flesh splitting, choking and gurgling. He wanted to block his ears and not hear the man’s dying struggles, but he heard them all.

_ That’s going to give me nightmares _ , he figured. 

Stoick put a comforting hand on Hiccup’s shoulder, and Hiccup looked at him. His father was giving him a look saying that his reaction was perfectly okay. Hiccup was glad for that, glad that his father was accepting him. 

He didn’t look at the assassin’s body limp and bloody in the chains. Instead, Stoick ordered the torturer to dispose of it, and the two of them were leaving. All the prisoners were quiet as Stoick passed, not saying anything towards Hiccup. Hiccup was grateful for that. He didn’t know how he was feeling about everything else though. The last day or so had been wild. He’d almost been killed, his father had admitted to hiding things from him, and now they knew the kingdom of Berzerk wanted war with them and had basically declared it. 

“Are you alright, Hiccup?” Stoick asked softly once they left the dungeons. 

Hiccup nodded, though he was sure his face was quite pale. “I, uh, have to get back to my friends.” He’d almost forgotten that they were still in his rooms. Hopefully the twins and Snotlout hadn’t made a mess. 

“Alright,” Stoick said. “That’s probably for the best.” 

They parted ways, and Hiccup blew out a long breath. That had been a stressful few hours. He rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling knotted muscle. He would need a masseuse once this was all over, or maybe before that. 

Once Hiccup got back to his rooms, he found his friends sitting around on the floor playing a game of cards. Toothless was napping on the couch on his back, showing his fluffy belly. Hiccup had the urge to pet it, but knew that he didn’t like that. 

“Hiccup! That took  _ forever _ ,” Ruffnut complained. She dropped her cards and stood, and Tuffnut leaned over to look at her hand as she went over to Hiccup. “Honestly, do talks with your father usually last that long.

“No,” Hiccup answered. He needed to sit. His knees felt weak from what he’d witnessed and learned. 

“Hiccup, you’re all white,” Astrid said. She also abandoned her cards to a lurking Tuffnut and stood. She gently took Hiccup by the hands and led him over to an armchair. “What happened?”

Hiccup suddenly felt guilty. So, so guilty. He’d kissed someone other than Astrid, not for an experiment like he’d told Viggo, but because he’d wanted to. And here she was not knowing, treating him as good as ever. He didn’t deserve her. She didn’t deserve someone like him. She deserved better. 

“Uh… Well, we got some answers out of the assassin,” Hiccup explained. “It… wasn’t pretty.” 

“Oh,” Ruffnut said lowly. Now all his friends were just looking at him. 

“What did he say?” Fishlegs asked, seeming a little fearful. The card game was entirely forgotten. 

“That King Dagur sent him,” Hiccup told them. “Berzerk has declared war on us.”


End file.
